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P E N N S T A T E F O O T B A L L >> ithin days of the end of Penn State's 2018 season, the compo- sition of the defensive line changed dramatically. Two veteran players, defensive end Shareef Miller and defensive tackle Kevin Givens, both announced that they were going to forgo their final seasons of eligibility with the Nittany Lions to pur- sue NFL careers. The primary leaders of a group that helped amass a school-record- tying 47 sacks last season, they would not be easily replaced during games and, maybe even more important, in practices and meetings. Shaka Toney instinctively, quickly recog- nized this. Throughout Toney's first three years with the program, the Nittany Lions' defensive line room had always featured two or three strong personalities to take charge of the group. Garrett Sickels, Evan Schwan, Tor- rence Brown, Parker Cothren, Curtis Cothran, Miller and Givens all filled that space. Understanding that Robert Windsor would naturally ascend into a bigger role as a fifth-year senior for the 2019 season, and with junior All-Big Ten candidate Yetur Gross-Matos by his side, Toney saw an op- portunity to help fill the void. Described as a fiercely loyal teammate who has earned respect not only within the defensive line room but also throughout the program, Toney has made a rapid and notable evolution. First recruited by the Nittany Lions out of Philadelphia's Imhotep Charter as a 195- pound linebacker, Toney turned his atten- tion to the defensive end position and has since blossomed in that role. Now listed at 6-foot-3, 243 pounds, he appeared as a backup in each of his first two seasons, tal- lying 43 tackles while notching nine sacks and 14 tackles for loss to go along with three forced fumbles and a pair of pass breakups. Most notably, Toney shined in a six-tackle performance at Indiana last Oc- tober, making four sacks and forcing a fumble. With Toney on an upward trajectory, head coach James Franklin offered an un- prompted call of attention toward the red- shirt junior this past August, describing him as a player who was "not getting talked about enough." "[He] has got so much respect, is so explo- sive. He's great for our offense, our tackles, with his get-off and his speed. He tested well this off-season," Franklin said. "I think he's going to have a huge year for us." Toney has since deflected all the praise that has come his way, insisting that the credit belongs to the defense as a whole, particularly the front line. That defensive SPEED READER With his talent for recognizing opponents' tendencies, DE Shaka Toney has helped Penn State's defensive front make life hard for both passers and running backs | W C O V E R S T O R Y

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