The roster that Penn State rolls with when it opens the 2022 season at Purdue isn’t clear now and won’t be for a while yet.
Today, however, there were updates regarding players who will not be back next season.
Seven notable players from Penn State’s 2021 team are either no longer listed on the roster or are listed, but not coming back for next year.
The most prominent name on the list is probably Mike Miranda, who was the team’s regular starting center in 2021 and has been a regular starter on the offensive line for three seasons. In 2020, Miranda was named second-team all-Big Ten by both coaches and media.
Another offensive lineman, Anthony Whigan, looks to be moving on. Whigan was a four-star recruit from Great Mills, Maryland, who came to Penn State in 2019. In three years with the Nittany Lions, he never cracked the offensive lines regular rotation, and only appeared in four games in 2021.
Receivers Daniel George and Cam-Sullivan Brown are two more players moving on. Sullivan-Brown was with Penn State from 2017-21, accumulating 17 catches over four seasons. George was a four-star recruit from the class of 2018. Unfortunately, the Oxon Hill, Maryland, native never made a splash at Penn State, catching 18 passes over three seasons. His most notable play at Penn State was a 95-yard touchdown catch against Kent State in 2019.
Defensive tackle Fred Hansard is also amongst those moving on/no longer on the roster. Hansard, who redshirted his freshman season in 2017, started the 2018 opener against Appalachian State, but never became a regular on Penn State’s defensive front. He had a infamous moment this past season, when Hansard, who was not actively in the game at the time of the play, shoved Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa on the sidelines. Penn State coach James Franklin suspended Hansard for the first half of the next week’s game against Michigan as a result.
A.J. Lytton transferred to Penn State from Florida State before the 2021 season. But the cornerback who was a 4-star out of high school only had one tackle for the season and, apparently, his Penn State career.
Lastly, Penn State will be losing the services of safety and special teams grinder Drew Hartlaub. The 5-foot-11, 180-pounder from Hanover, Pennsylvania, played primarily in kickoff and punt return coverage from 2018-21. His services were lauded by teammates, including kicker/punter Jordan Stout, who referred to him as a “stud” after Penn State’s loss to Michigan Nov. 6.
