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redshirt year to bulk up. Gary Wooten, who joined Penn State last summer from Hialeah, Fla., could be the guy, too. INSIDE LINEBACKER A three-year-starterto-be, Glenn Carson is the proven veteran of the defensive unit. For his final campaign, Carson will once again be the man in the middle. He is the team's top returning tackler, having finished last season with 85 stops. Thirty-four of those tackles came in the season's last three games, and he said he hopes to carry that momentum into his senior year. Vanderlinden said he would like to see Carson get his hands on the football more than he has. If that occurs, he said Carson will likely receive the same recognition that Hodges and Mauti garnered this past fall. Even if he wins a starting spot at outside linebacker, Wartman will likely be Carson's backup in the middle. Like Hull, Wartman has the athletic ability to play all three linebacker positions, but his size – 6-1, 235 pounds – makes him better suited for the inside. It's possible that an incoming freshman will be called upon to provide depth here. CORNERBACK With two years of significant playing time under his belt, Adrian Amos enters his junior season as one of the premier defensive backs in the Big Ten. He finished 2012 with 44 tackles and two interceptions and received honorable mention All-Big Ten recognition. Amos won't have veteran Stephon Morris across the field from him, but a number of young defensive backs earned valuable experience last fall. Jordan Lucas played in all 12 games, and Da'Quan Davis played in 11. Return specialist Jesse Dalle Valle also has cornerback experience and two years of remaining eligibility. Incoming freshman Neiko Robinson appears to have a chance of breaking into the three-deep. He'll challenge redshirt freshman Jake Kiley for playing time. Jordan Smith, an early enrollee, could also factor into the cornerback picture, but at 6-0, 188 pounds, he also could get a tryout at safety. SAFETY Stephen Obeng-Agyapong and Malcolm Willis are back for their final ride. Obeng-Agyapong has played in every game of his Penn State career, while Willis has played in every game but two since he was named a starter prior to Penn State's victory over Michigan during his freshman year. ObengAgyapong and Willis are the only seniors in Penn State's secondary and two of only four projected senior starters on the entire defensive unit. Junior Ryan Keiser, a defensive back who played primarily on special teams in 2012, should also see some action, and look for Lucas, Kiley and Smith to see time at safety this spring. One or maybe two will be needed this fall, and don't forget about Amos. It's been reported that his natural position is safety, so if the staff feels comfortable with the depth at cornerback, Amos might slide back to safety. Look for a few combinations here. KICKER Who would have predicted that Sam Ficken's sophomore season would end in such a fashion, especially after he missed four field goal attempts at Virginia? Ficken rebounded in a big way by ending the season with 10 consecutive makes, including the 37-yard winner against Wisconsin. If Ficken maintains his momentum, Penn State should be set at place kicker for the next two seasons. However, he will have some competition this fall. Chris Gulla of Toms River, N.J., is set to "run on" at Penn State. Gulla is rated 19th in the nation by Chris Sailer Kicking, one of the top scouting services for kickers. He has been told that he will compete for both the starting kicker and punter position during preseason camp. PUNTER Gulla is more likely to begin his career as a punter. He averaged 42 yards per attempt during his senior year at Toms River North. Alex Butterworth has averaged 37.7 yards throughout his career, including a career-low 37.4 yards as a starter last fall. Fitzgerald surely has Butterworth in the weight room this offseason, so who knows what kind of improvement we may see during his final season. But the competition for the starting spot could be one of the more interesting position battles of 2013. RETURNS O'Brien seemed to be very comfortable with Della Valle returning punts and kicks in 2012. The mistakes were kept to a minimum. But the big plays were, too. As long as he makes ball security a priority, Della Valle will remain one of Penn State's top return options next fall. But you had better believe O'Brien is on the lookout for someone with the potential to break a few big returns, either on kickoffs or punts. Is Akeel L ynch that guy? Trevor Williams? Eugene Lewis? Bill Belton? Richy Anderson? Kiley? Maybe even Hull gets a shot. Hey, Hodges got one.

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