Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1400830
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 1 11 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M PERSONNEL NOTES • Pry said that junior cornerback Mar- quis Wilson will be lining up mostly on defense during preseason camp after get- ting an audition at wide receiver in spring practice. Wilson had seemed to be on the fast track in the secondary after seeing exten- sive action as a true freshman in 2019, but the Lions have built considerable depth at the cornerback spots, both via the transfer portal and through their own recruiting efforts. That gave them the flexibility to let Wilson have a shot at playing offense. "Marquis is primarily working with us but is expected to have a role offen- sively," Pry said. "Marquis is a guy who, as a freshman, made a huge interception in the Cotton Bowl. We know he's a talent and a little bit of a ball hawk." • Elsewhere in the secondary, Pry said that junior Keaton Ellis is practicing mostly at free safety. Like Wilson's au- dition at wideout, Ellis' move from cor- nerback to safety was a spring practice experiment made possible by the addi- tion of two talented cornerbacks: South Carolina transfer Johnny Dixon and early enrollee Kalen King. Pry said that Ellis could potentially play the boundary safety position and could even return to cornerback if necessary. But for now, free safety is his primary spot. "This wasn't about him not being good enough at corner," Pry said. "It was about his best position potentially being safety." • Special teams coordinator Joe Lorig said that senior safety Jaquan Brisker is very much in contention for a role as a kick-return specialist. Brisker wasn't used as a returner in his first two seasons at Penn State, but Lorig mentioned him following spring practice as a candidate for the job, and he affirmed earlier this month that the All-Big Ten defensive back will be getting a long look in practice. "Brisker is definitely in the mix," Lorig said. "He's a guy who obviously is very capable. He's got tremendous skill, he's got great ball skills, he's a great decision- maker. "He's one of the candidates, but there are four, five or six guys back there, and we're going to put them through a bunch of situations this fall to make sure we have the guys back there who we trust will make the best decisions based on what the kick is, what the field conditions are, those kind of things. "Certainly, he's a guy who I could see winning the job. And in my experience with special teams, specifically in the re- turn game, you can't have just one guy. Guys get tired. A guy could have just been on the field for a long series, so we're go- ing to need to have at least four who we feel really, really confident with." Junior running back Devyn Ford and sophomore receiver Parker Washington handled the kickoff returns for much of last year, but the Lions also used Brisker's fellow starter at safety, Lamont Wade, in that role. In his final game, Wade re- turned a kickoff 100 yards for a touch- down against Illinois. • Penn State finished 10th in the Big Ten in net punting last season, averaging 38.8 yards per attempt. It's a statistic that Lorig is eager to improve upon this year. Senior Jordan Stout, the team's kickoff and long-range field goal specialist the past two seasons, also handled the punt- ing duties for the first time as a junior, and Lorig said he didn't fare as well in games as he did in practice. As he enters his final season, Stout is facing some competition for the punt- ing job. Penn State has three additional punters on its roster, including two recent additions: senior Barney Amor, a transfer from Colgate, and freshman Gabe Nwosu, a freshman from The Bullis School in Maryland. Lorig said that as a returning starter, Stout is "first in line" for the punting job but added that the coaching staff is look- ing to see improvement in Penn State's performance this year. "I didn't think he punted the way I know he can," Lorig said. "He didn't punt the way I saw in practice, and we brought a couple of guys in who are good, healthy competition for him. There will be com- petition." ■ JOE KRENTZMAN & SON, INC. • Buyers and Brokers of Steel, Iron and Nonferrous Metals • Industrial Scrap Buyers • Container Service Available • Large Service Territory Since 1903 Lewistown, PA • Hollidaysburg, PA • DuBois, PA (800) 543-2000 • www.krentzman.net F irst i n S cra p