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Highlighted by the need to replace three-year starting quarterback Trace McSorley, Penn State is going through a slew of personnel changes and it remains to be seen how the Nittany Lions will react to all of the turnover.

On top of losing several players to graduation, head coach James Franklin also saw five starters from last year leave early for the NFL and 11 players enter the transfer portal. That’s a lot of attrition for one offseason.

But Nittany Lions fans will still expect results. Those results will largely depend on whoever steps up to man the quarterback position in State College. Projected starter and fifth-year senior, Tommy Stevens, threw a curveball Franklin’s way when he announced after spring camp that he would be entering the transfer portal, leaving four scholarship quarterbacks — all with little to no experience — battling it out for the starting job. The likeliest candidate to win the spot is redshirt sophomore Sean Clifford, who hasn’t seen the field much but has made the most of his opportunities, throwing for two touchdowns in only seven career attempts.

Whoever ends up playing quarterback for the Nittany Lions will have to break in some green receivers who are looking to establish themselves within the offense. KJ Hamler, who had 42 receptions for 754 yards last year, is Penn State’s top returning receiver, but only one other wideout on the roster has more than 10 career catches — Jahan Dotson. Most of Penn State’s receivers are freshmen or sophomores, so there is a lot of growing that needs to be done there. Where Penn State might excel the most in the passing game is when it calls the number of tight end Pat Freiermuth, who is a potential breakout candidate this season.

The backfield is basically in the same situation as the receiving corps — young and unproven. Sophomores Ricky Slade, Journey Brown, and C.J. Holmes will fight for carries with true freshmen Noah Cain and Devyn Ford. Slade is the most experienced of the bunch with just 45 career rushing attempts. Lots of potential talent in this unit, but that potential still needs to translate onto the field.

Penn State’s offensive line returns three starters and is its most experienced unit on that side of the ball. However, big questions remain at left tackle, which could make for a tough transition for a new quarterback.

Last season, Penn State led the FBS with 3.6 sacks per game. Defensive coordinator Brent Pry likes to pressure quarterbacks relentlessly and has the personnel to do so. Defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos had eight sacks last season and 20 tackles for loss. He could turn into a dominant force for the Nittany Lions, and he’ll be joined on the defensive line by defensive tackle Robert Windsor, who contributed 7.5 sacks a year ago.

Micah Parsons at linebacker is the biggest breakout candidate for the Penn State defense. He’s a former five-star prospect who led the Nittany Lions in tackles last season with 83 despite only starting in one game. Joined in the linebacking corps by seniors Cam Brown and Jan Johnson, Penn State is well on its way to becoming linebacker U once again.

Penn State’s vicious front seven makes life on its secondary that much easier, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t a talented group in its own right. Returning starters John Reid and Garrett Taylor give the Nittany Lions experience at cornerback and safety, respectively, and they’ll be joined by up-and-coming talents such as Tariq Castro-Fields, Jonathan Sutherland, and Lamont Wade to comprise a formidable group.

Bottom line: On a Friday night in College Park in late September, Maryland and Penn State will meet for the 42nd time. But this series has been as one-sided as it comes in the past with the Nittany Lions winning 39 of the 41 previous meetings. But rarely does Penn State experience the type roster turnover it’s going through from 2018 to 2019, so this is a prime opportunity for the Terps to strike. The Penn State offense isn’t too intimidating, but its defense is going to be no joke. If Maryland can find a way to put up a significant amount of points, it could be hard for the Nittany Lions to keep pace.

Series: 39-2, Penn State

Last Maryland win: 2014, 20-19 at Penn State

Last Penn State win: 2018, 38-3 at Penn State