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P E N N S T A T E F O O T B A L L >> the Panthers won a PIAA champi- onship, Toney gravitated toward the program's new defensive coordinator, Mark Schmidt. Schmidt "had the biggest impact" on his approach to the game, Toney said, and the results have carried through to his career as a Nit- tany Lion. "He always told me that if you really want to have a leg up on your oppo- nent before you step on the field, know everything about the opponent you're going against," Toney said. "I learned that the more you know, the faster you can play, and that's one thing about me going into college that I just took more seriously. I can see things that a lot of people won't even take the time to see and be able to make plays based on pre-snap reads and good decisions and good judgment calls, just because I know what's going on." Last spring, Antonio Shelton wit- nessed firsthand how Toney was able to quickly diagnose opposing offenses. The defensive tackle could only marvel at the speed with which Toney figured out what was going on around him. "Shaka has the highest football IQ I've ever been around," Shelton said. "Throughout the spring, he would look at me, and he would look at the formation, and then tell me what was about to happen before it happened." The tell? "He would say, 'Because the re- ceiver's feet were this way.' I'm like, 'How do you even know that?' " No matter how he's doing it, the Nit- tany Lions couldn't be more pleased with Toney's performance to this point in the season and his influence on a defensive line and defense as a whole that has been elite. Franklin has described his leverage and intelligence as "off the charts," and his influence in the room has helped the Nittany Lions follow his lead. "I think with Shaka, he knows who he is," Franklin said. "He knows the type of player that he is. He knows his strengths. He knows his weaknesses and he plays a style of game that allows him to be successful." ■

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