Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1138762
But Johnson, Brown and Parsons are back, and they're all a lot more experi- enced than they were a year ago. Ham said that the potential for improvement in the linebacker corps is the top reason to be optimistic about Penn State's de- fensive outlook in 2019. "Playing the Will position last season was a learning experience for Parsons," Ham said. "He was a defensive end in high school, and he focused on rushing the quarterback. Learning to play the outside linebacker position was totally new for him." It was a testament to Parsons' tremen- dous athletic ability that he ended up as Penn State's leading tackler last year with 83 stops, including 9ve tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. But looking at the linebacker corps more generally, this was the area where the defense came up short. If you want to have an elite de- fense, your starting linebacker unit has to be able to make game-changing plays. In 2018, Brown, Johnson and Farmer failed to do that. Between them, they to- taled only 9.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. It really wasn't until the second half of the season that Brown started to become a big-play linebacker for Penn State. He 9nished the season with 6.5 tackles for loss but only two sacks. While much of the attention will be focused on Parsons this fall, Ham said that Brown could and should be one of the most improved players on Penn State's defense. He stands 6-5 and will likely weigh about 235 pounds going into the season, and he combines that size with what is reported to be 4.55-second 40-yard speed. In other words, Brown has all the physical attributes to become a major factor on Penn State's defense this fall. I believe he has the ability to compete at an All-Big Ten level, and with his size and speed, he has all the physical traits that NFL scouts look for at the weakside OLB position. Penn State defensive coordinator Brent Pry said he expects Brown to come to the forefront at the Sam OLB position. "I'm super excited about Cam," Pry said. "Everyone knows who Cam is, but he 9- nally has a chance to play to his poten- tial. He plays reckless. You've got to understand, he's 6-5, 235. He runs by people. There aren't a lot of guys with that length, with that size, who do that. He plays 9eld 'backer. He plays Mike. He can rush, and he can cover. He's emerg- ing as the leader of our defense." In addition to its starters, Penn State has the best group of underclassman linebackers in the Big Ten in four-star true freshmen Brandon Smith and Lance Dixon, and backups Jesse Luketa, Ellis Brooks and Charlie Katshir. The secondary also appears to be a team strength. John Reid and Tariq Cas- tro-Fields are the projected starters at cornerback, with Donovan Johnson, Trent Gordon, D.J. Brown, Keaton Ellis, Marquis Wilson and Joey Porter Jr. be- hind them. Returning starter Garrett Taylor has a lock on the boundary safety position a:er 9nishing his junior year with three interceptions and ranking third on the team in tackles, and Jonathan Sutherland brings superb depth to the position. That makes the 9eld safety position the only question mark in the secondary. Lamont Wade and juco transfer Jaquan Brisker will battle for that spot in August. All told, Penn State returns eight play- ers who started at least one game last year. One of those players is likely to be a 9rst-round dra: pick in 2020, and there are plenty of other rising stars in the linebacker unit and secondary. Looking at the big picture, there's ample reason to believe that Penn State will have a chance to 9eld the Big Ten's No. 1 or No. 2 defense this fall. That defense is the main reason why I believe Penn State will challenge Ohio State, Michigan State and Michigan for the Big Ten East Division title. Without question, this is the Nittany Lions' best defense since Franklin took over the pro- gram in 2014. ■