Blue White Illustrated

P E N N S T A T E F O O T B A L L >> appearance in the state title game as a senior. Heading into spring practice, Penn State's coaching staff had some con- cerns about how things were shaping up in the secondary. The Lions had finished second in the Big Ten in pass defense last season, allowing only 181.5 yards per game through the air, and James Franklin was pleased with the depth and athletic ability his team was returning at the cornerback spots, with senior John Reid set for his third season as a full- time starter and experienced junior Tariq Castro-Fields stepping into the lineup as Amani Oruwariye's replace- ment. But safety was a different story. Said Franklin, "We went into spring ball feeling like we had some question marks." The concerns stemmed in part from Scott's graduation. While Garrett Taylor was back after starting 12 games and tying for the team lead with three interceptions in 2018, the Lions needed to find a new starter at the opposite safety spot. Red- shirt sophomore Jonathan Sutherland was capable of playing both positions but was primarily playing be- hind Taylor, while juco transfer Jaquan Brisker wasn't set to arrive on campus until the summer. Those circumstances com- bined to thrust Wade into the spotlight. By all accounts, he took full advantage. Wade's perform- ance, which included a couple of tackles in the Blue-White Game, alleviated some of the staff's anx- iety about the Nittany Lions' outlook at safety. Coming out of spring practice, Franklin, Pry and defensive backs coaches Tim Banks and Terry Smith felt as though the Lions "were probably a lit- tle bit further along there than we thought," Franklin said. "And then obvi- ously we've got some guys who have joined our program in the summer who are going to help add to that as well. So I think we're going into this thing with a lot of confidence. "In our secondary, G.T. has had a great summer. He looks unbelievable. He's as lean and explosive and as fast as he's been, and he has tremendous expe- rience. And obviously at that other posi- tion, [there's] Lamont Wade, Brisker, Sutherland, a number of guys who have played, and who we think have a chance to make an impact for us. We feel good. Obviously, we still have a lot of work to do and we have to gain experience with those guys and get them really confident and comfortable with our schemes and what to expect. But I know Coach Banks and Coach Smith feel good." One of the reasons they feel good is that Sutherland gives them some flexi- bility coming off a redshirt freshman season in which he appeared in all 13 games and made a start against Iowa. Sutherland said he's been practicing mostly as a backup behind Taylor at free safety but is ready for any contingency this fall. "During meetings and when we do cor- rections, I'm taking notes and paying at- tention to what the other side is doing as well, just in case," he said. "It's real fluid, WELL-ACQUAINTED Brisker (7) and Wade take part in a drill during the sec- ond day of presea- son practice. Although Brisker only recently arrived on campus, he and Wade have known each other for years. Photo by Ryan Sny- der

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