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looking to bring a bit of refinement to his typically freeform style. Under former position coach Sean Spencer, the Nittany Lions' defensive linemen were known as the Wild Dogs, and they lived up to that nickname. Said Oweh, "We were doing a lot of stuff based on raw will. It wasn't always the most technically sound way. It wasn't the most conventional way." Spencer left for the New York Giants during the off-season, and his successor, John Scott Jr., is more of a technician. Penn State's linemen are also working this year with new graduate assistant Deion Barnes, a former Nittany Lion defensive standout. Oweh is benefitting from their expertise, and he's also stayed in touch with Spencer, who is giving him the per- spective of an NFL coach. The result? A more well-rounded skill set that blends Oweh's off-the-charts athletic ability with a better understanding of what of- fenses are trying to do to neutralize him. R eading through the entry for Nick Tar- burton on Penn State's 2020 football roster isn't a particularly taxing exercise. The redshirt sophomore defensive end has the smiling photo and all the essen- tial biographical information – 6-foot-3, 248 pounds, from Pennridge High School – but the details re- garding his first two seasons with the Nit- tany Lions are limited in scope. Returning from an injury that kept him out of action in 2019, Tarburton is poised to change that reality in the weeks and months ahead. And Penn State head coach James Franklin is optimistic for what that means – not only for Tarburton himself but also for the Nittany Lions' defensive end unit and the program as a whole. "That's been huge for us," Franklin said during a recent appearance on the Penn State Coaches Show. "We've always been huge Nick Tarburton fans since we recruited him out of Pennridge High School." Tarburton's bio demonstrates as much. His true freshman season in 2018 lists a pair of appearances, as he played a few snaps on the defensive line against Ap- palachian State and again at Pitt, with two Scout Team Defensive Player of the Week honors in preparation for Indiana and Wisconsin in October and Novem- ber. That was part of the plan for Tarbur- ton, with the staff seeing an opportunity to deliver immediate reps then preserve his redshirt while seeing how the season played out at the position. "Now we're in a situation where we can use Tarburton late in the season to solve some problems with injuries and hopefully still be able to redshirt him," Franklin said in September 2018. "What we're trying to do is manage it. The way the season plays out, some things are going to be out of our control. But right now, with how things are going, we want to be able to get some guys some experi- ence for this year, but also for years moving forward." Those opportunities never came, how- ever. Last year, Tarburton was sidelined by an injury that prevented him from seeing a single rep. In keeping with his policy, Franklin didn't reveal anything about the nature of the injury, but he did note recently that the road to recovery was lengthy. "He had some health issues that we had to work through. And it was one of those deals where it wasn't going to be a couple of weeks," Franklin said. "It was finding the right situation for him, find- ing the right doctors for him, really get- ting to understand what he had to do for his body, not only from a rehab but a pre-hab standpoint." With Penn State's season finally under way, the patience that Tarburton showed in working his way back appears to have paid off. Picked by both offensive tackle Rasheed Walker and tight end Zack Kuntz as a player poised for a breakout season, he has enjoyed a personal tri- umph and has lent even more depth to a solid Nittany Lion defensive end corps. The group is led by Shaka Toney and Jayson Oweh, with Adisa Isaac providing support as the third player in a rotation that also includes Shane Simmons and redshirt freshman Smith Vilbert. A healthy Tarburton could provide new assistant coach John Scott Jr. with an additional piece to the puzzle. And as Oweh recently explained, Tarburton ap- pears to be ready for that role, serving as an inspiration to others along the way. "Nick and I came in together, the only D-ends in our class," Oweh said. "I've seen him struggle. I've seen him go through a lot. Just to see how he has pro- gressed going through all those injuries. It's crazy, because what he's doing now is impressive. He looks completely reju- venated with a whole new body. He looks impressive." Aiming to maintain the standard of re- peated excellence that has defined the position for the Nittany Lions in recent years, Franklin believes Tarburton's presence would very much help in that mission. "Having him back healthy right now, he's going to be a guy who I think is going to have an impact for us this year, not only from a production standpoint on the field but also from a leadership standpoint," Franklin said. "He's a tough guy. He's a blue-collar guy. And I think he brings an element to that posi- tion that is needed, complementary pieces." –NATE BAUER Tarburton expected to bolster Lions' depth at DE TARBURTON

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