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spot, where he wouldn't have to come off the field when the Lions switch to their nickel package. Smith's move would cre- ate an opening at the Sam position, but PSU has options there, with Dixon re- turning and Jacobs having shown poten- tial as a true freshman last season. No matter what happens, Penn State needs more consistency from this posi- tion group. The sight of opposing ball carriers and receivers loping through its defense for big yardage was all too com- mon last season. The Lions gave up a 62- yard run to Ohio State on the first play of the game. They gave up touchdowns of 42, 62, 38 and 34 yards to Maryland and surrendered a 45-yarder to Nebraska a week later. If they're going to extend their late-season surge into the start of the 2021 campaign, they'll need to win the explosive-play battle more often than not. The linebackers will be a big part of that effort. QUOTABLE Pry: "I've been very pleased with the development of Brandon Smith. I think he's meriting more snaps and playing time. He's a guy who can do a lit- tle bit of what Cam Brown did and play multiple positions, that type of thing. Jesse and Ellis have done a nice job inside. We've just got to get a little bit better." SECONDARY KEY RETURNEES CB: Tariq Castro- Fields, Keaton Ellis, Daequan Hardy, Donovan Johnson, Joseph Johnson III, Joey Porter Jr., Marquis Wilson; Saf.: Jaquan Brisker, Ji'Ayir Brown, Enzo Jen- nings, Tyler Rudolph, Jonathan Suther- land KEY LOSSES CB: D.J. Brown; Saf.: Lam- ont Wade NEWCOMERS CB: Jeffrey Davis Jr., John Dixon, Kalen King; Saf.: Jaylen Reed, Zakee Wheatley OUTLOOK The Nittany Lions got some good news on Jan. 2 when Castro-Fields announced that he was coming back. He had been a senior in 2020, but he played in only three games due to an unspecified injury. It was the second season in a row in which his performance was impacted by health issues, as he had played hurt for much of his junior year and struggled at times in the later stages of the season. The 6-0, 191-pound Castro-Fields has NFL aspirations, so he opted to take the NCAA up on its offer to give players an extra year of eligibility if they want it, hoping that a healthy 2021 season will serve as a spring- board to the next level. "The NFL has been a dream of mine since I was 5 years old," Castro-Fields said. "After discussing with my coaches and my family, I have decided to put this dream on hold and return to Penn State for my senior year." With Castro-Fields, who has three ca- reer interceptions and 22 passes de- fended, set to return next fall, the Lions appear poised to field the deepest corner- back corps of the Franklin era. Porter, Wilson and Ellis all are getting set to begin their third year in the program, and while Porter was the last of those three to see extensive action, redshirting as a true freshman in 2019, he may be the best of the bunch. He started all nine games in 2020, finishing eighth on the team with 33 tackles and second with four pass breakups. The Lions also return Hardy, who began seeing more-frequent action late in the season when injuries began to chip away at the secondary's depth. Al- though he's one of the smallest players on the team at 5-9, 180 pounds, he's shown an ability to make plays at the line of scrimmage, finishing with a sack and a tackle for loss in the win over Rutgers. With Dixon, another contender to start, arriving from South Carolina, the Lions may have enough depth at cornerback to consider moving the 5-11, 186-pound Ellis over to safety. That's a position where they could use some additional manpower with Wade gone. Ellis knows how to hit, having forced three fumbles in 2019. Other contenders for playing time at the field safety spot include Ji'Ayir Brown and Jennings, both of whom were listed be- hind Wade last year. And there's been some speculation about Daniel George moving to defense if it looks like he's not going to be a big factor at wide receiver. At the boundary safety position, PSU got some more good news when Brisker announced in mid-January that he, too, was returning. One of the best tacklers on Penn State's defense – he missed only one tackle all year according to Pro Football Focus – Brisker came on strong at the end of the 2020 season and will look to build on that momentum next fall. His backups last year, Sutherland and Rudolph, are also set to return. For all of their problems early in the 2020 season, the Lions finished the year ranked second in the Big Ten in pass de- fense, as opponents averaged 198.6 yards per game. But they did give up 15 touch- down passes, the league's third-highest total, while collecting only four intercep- tions. That dearth of interceptions is starting to feel like a recurring theme. In 2019, Penn State finished eighth in the league with 10 picks. This past year, it fin- ished 11th. It's possible to field a pretty good team without generating lots of turnovers; San Jose State collected just three intercep- tions this past season yet still won the Mountain West Conference. It's likewise possible to generate lots of turnovers and still be bad; Duke had 20 takeaways in- cluding nine picks and finished 2-9. But as a general rule, interceptions help. A lot. Penn State needs to find a way to get more of them. QUOTABLE Pry: "I think Brisker these last few weeks [in December], he looks like the guy I hoped he would be. I mean, at Rutgers, running the alley and just sure tackling and confident and fast – that's who I think he is." SPECIAL TEAMS KEY RETURNEES H: Rafael Checa, Jor- dan Stout; KR: Devyn Ford, Parker Wash- ington; LS: Chris Stoll, Michael Wright; P: Levi Forrest, Jordan Stout; PK: Levi Forrest, Jake Pinegar, Jordan Stout; PR: Jahan Dotson, Parker Washington, Mar- quis Wilson KEY LOSSES K/P: Carson Landis; KR: Lamont Wade NEWCOMER PK: Sander Sahaydak OUTLOOK Virtually all of the key per-

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