The 2021 Youngstown State Penguins football team represented Youngstown State University as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) during the 2021 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by second-year head coach Doug Phillips, the Penguins compiled an overall record of 3–7 with a mark of 2–6 in conference play, tying for ninth place in the MVFC. Youngstown State played their home games at Stambaugh Stadium in Youngstown, Ohio.