Blue White Illustrated

>> and you see the guy playing fast, and I re- ally like his rush ability. He's got great hips and great feet. His first step is really, really, really good. It's been impressive to see him just continue to develop his pass rush moves and get really good with his hands. I like how he's progressing." LINEBACKER KEY RETURNEES ILB: Ellis Brooks, Tyler Elsdon, Max Chizmar; OLB: Lance Dixon, Zuriah Fisher, Curtis Jacobs, Charlie Kat- shir, Jesse Luketa, Brandon Smith KEY LOSS OLB: Micah Parsons NEWCOMERS Jamari Buddin, Kobe King OUTLOOK The linebacker corps never quite recovered from the loss of Parsons last year. When the consen- sus All-American opted out in August in order to begin preparing for the NFL Draft, the Nittany Lions were de- prived of what defensive co- ordinator Brent Pry likes to call an "eraser." Parsons' un- paralleled skill set enabled him to erase mistakes – his own and those of his fellow linebackers. Without him in the lineup, plays that might have resulted only in 4- or 5-yard gains ended up going for first downs. Defensive coordinator Brent Pry was pleased with the way his linebackers plugged up holes in the tackle box, but when opposing ball carriers found open space on the perimeter, they often ran for big yardage. During the season, Pry grumbled that his defense wasn't tackling well, and he said the problems within the linebacker corps were particularly glaring. "It's something we practice all the time," he said. "I've been most disappointed in my position. I think it's the linebackers – there's been a little bit of an issue. We saw some improvement in some areas. We've tackled well in the box, we just haven't tackled well in space at my spot, not well enough. We've worked at it, we've em- phasized it. I do think there's been im- provement, but it's still not where I'd like it to be." The Lions did indeed show improve- ment toward the end of the season, par- ticularly Smith. The sophomore Sam OLB was all over the field in Penn State's season-ending victory at Illinois, finish- ing the game with team-high eight stops, including three tackles for loss. That's a good sign as the former four- star prospect prepares for his junior sea- son. Luketa, too, looked more comfortable as the season went on, fin- ishing with 10 tackles against Rutgers and seven apiece in wins over Michigan State and the Illini. The Nittany Lions played nine games without Parsons last year, so they've al- ready adapted to their only personnel loss heading into the 2021 season. But that doesn't necessarily mean their lineup is set. There's been some talk of moving Luketa inside and then shifting Smith from the Sam position to the Will. Last summer, the 6-3, 242-pound Luketa had been expected to challenge Brooks for the starting Mike linebacker spot, but those plans changed when Parsons opted out. This spring, the coaching staff might want to see how that competition plays out. In addition to bringing out the best in Luketa and Brooks, it would give the staff a chance to slide Smith into the Will LINEBACKER U After struggling early in the season, Luketa excelled at the end, finishing with seven or more tackles in three of Penn State's last four games. Photo courtesy of Penn State Athletics

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