Penn State Football Names Captains for 2022 Season

Penn State football announced this week six team captains encompassing all phases of the game. The group includes senior safety Ji’Ayir Brown, redshirt senior quarterback Sean Clifford, senior defensive tackle PJ Mustipher, redshirt junior offensive lineman Juice Scruggs, redshirt senior long snapper Chris Stoll and redshirt senior linebacker Jonathan Sutherland.

Clifford and Sutherland become the first four-time team captains program history. Mustipher returns for his second season as a team captain.

Brown has appeared in 22 career games at Penn State, making 13 starts and tied the nation’s lead with six interceptions in 2021. Brown looks to be the backbone of Penn State’s secondary in 2022 following the departure of fellow safety and fellow Lackawanna transfer Jaquan Brisker to the NFL Draft.

Clifford enters the 2022 season as one of three Penn State players to reach 8,000 yards of total offense and one of three Penn State quarterbacks to eclipse the 7,500 career yard passing mark. He is set to start at quarterback for the fourth consecutive year.

Mustipher has appeared in 40 career games at Penn State, making 16 starts and is set to return as a staple of Penn State’s defensive front this year after missing the back half of Penn State’s season in 2021 following an injury sustained against Iowa on the road.

Scruggs has appeared in 21 career games at Penn State, making 13 starts. All 13 of his starts came in 2021 while Scruggs looks to start at center this season under a new look offensive line.

Stoll has been Penn State’s primary long snapper for 35 career games and a reliable piece of Penn State’s special team’s unit for several seasons. Stoll will look to help anchor a kicking game that will see some change following the departure of longtime punter Jordan Stout.

Sutherland has appeared in 45 career games, including three starts. This season Sutherland should look for an even bigger role in Penn State’s defense as he makes the full time transition from safety to linebacker. Sutherland did play some time at linebacker in 2021.