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ting the start at center in the spring scrimmage and Caedan Wallace man- ning the right tackle position, the Nit- tany Lions are presumably in good shape. With a strong finish to the 2020 season, Juice Scruggs is a likely starter at left guard for Penn State, leaving the right guard position open for a true competition. With more depth and tal- ent than Franklin has had in his tenure along the line, this unit should theoreti- cally take a step forward under second- year position coach Phil Trautwein. DEFENSIVE LINE Moving junior defen- sive tackle P.J. Mustipher back to the nose tackle position in 2021 should pay dividends for defen- sive coordinator Brent Pry. Mustipher is back up to a natural weight of 325 pounds and back to being a force against the run, after a roster pinch moved him to three- technique defensive tackle last season. Freshman Hakeem Beamon has dropped down to 270 pounds to play the quick- penetrating role for the defense and could possibly see starting snaps. Aside from those two and transfer Derrick Tan- gelo, it's a wide-open competition. The edge position is another mystery. Transfer Arnold Ebiketie has joined the Nittany Lions to aid with his pass-rush- ing prowess, joining sophomore Adisa Isaac to form an undersized duo. "I'd still like to get a few more pounds of lean muscle mass on them, both of them. You'd like to see them, come next season, be in the mid- to high 250s so that they can play the complete season over 250 pounds," Franklin said this spring. "Both of them have a history of losing weight as the season goes on. For them to be the every-down defensive ends we need them to be [they'll need to add weight]." The Nittany Lions do have some beef at defensive end, with Smith Vilbert standing 6-foot-6, 256 pounds. Nick Tarburton has bulked up to 253 pounds and has drawn praise for his work ethic and leadership this off-season. But without a true leader at the position like in previous years, it's a tenuously opti- mistic picture for Penn State fans. LINEBACKER The much-maligned Penn State linebacker unit from 2020 has some legitimate promise for a bounce-back year in the fall. Freshman linebacker Curtis Jacobs finished the season strong, flashing range and cover- age ability at the Sam linebacker posi- tion. Brandon Smith has been moved to the weakside linebacker spot, which will allow Ellis Brooks and Jesse Luketa to tag-team the middle linebacker role, where both are best suited. The issue is depth, with sophomore Charlie Katshir likely serving as the backup to Jacobs. Freshman Tyler Els- don flashed at times this spring with quickness and aggressiveness to the ball as a backstop for Brooks and Luketa should one or both struggle. CORNERBACK Freshman Kalen King wowed during spring practice to the point that Franklin called him the most advanced freshman the staff has had on campus during their time at Penn State. King is joined by South Carolina transfer Johnny Dixon and Tariq Castro-Fields, Joey Porter Jr. and possibly Keaton Ellis on the boundary. Ellis got reps at safety during the team's April 23 practice, so it's unclear where he will play in the fall. But no matter where he ends up, this has the potential to be Penn State's most talented defensive backfield under Franklin. SAFETY The story is not so much Jaquan Brisker coming back for a final season, but who will start opposite him. Jonathan Sutherland and Ji'Ayir Brown bring stocky physicality to the position and will battle for that role. Behind them are former four-star players Enzo Jen- nings and Tyler Rudolph, both of whom have great size and range but are un- known quantities. Of the two, Rudolph has drawn more praise this spring from the staff. No matter who starts for Pry and new safeties coach Anthony Poindexter, the depth at the position is sound and should be a strength of the team in 2021. ■ NO-PASSING ZONE Castro-Fields (left) and Ellis are part of a secondary that could be the best of the Franklin era. Photo by Mark Selders/Penn State Athletics

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