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 2 7 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M "I wanted to move to Will originally because I felt that was my natural posi- tion and I had the opportunity to make a big difference there. I felt that was just the best thing for me," Smith said. "It showed toward the end of the season that some people were definitely just making sure everybody was real wide, so I had to respect it. They were just beat- ing us in areas where, if I would have been there, then the outcome would have been a lot better. I personally just felt like I needed to make that switch for myself and the team." Having worked throughout the spring and summer at the position at which he feels most comfortable, Smith is feel- ing hopeful heading into Penn State's upcoming season. He's an integral part of a linebacker group that hasn't needed to make on-the-fly adjustments as it did last year, and he said he's already seeing the dividends of his return to the Will spot. "It just feels great being closer to the ball, for one, and I'm also making a big difference within the defense the way I want to," Smith said. "I'm still learning more about the position, more and more each day, just knowing those things that I didn't know my freshman year. It just brings me to a point where I feel like there were certain things I could have [done better], paying attention to de- tails and that type of thing, even though I was young. I'm a lot older now and I'm more mature when it comes to that sense, so that definitely shows growth in that area as well." Penn State is hoping that those im- provements will make a big difference in the weeks and months ahead. With a better, wiser, more-confident Smith playing at his best position and flanked by teammates who feel the same, the Nittany Lions intend to make the most of their opportunity. "We always felt like Brandon's best position was going to be Will. It's just a challenging position to learn, and as the season unfolded, those last three or four games, Brandon played a lot more snaps at that spot," Pry said. "He had a really nice spring, so I feel good about that." ■ James Franklin isn't the type of coach to speak in absolutes very often, but he did exactly that while discussing his secondary at Big Ten media days in late July. During his opening statement, delivered from the podium at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Franklin issued a strong vote of confidence in his defensive backfield. "We probably have the best secondary that we have had," he said. The Nittany Lions bring back three of their four starting defensive backs from 2020, losing only safety Lamont Wade. Senior safety Jaquan Brisker is widely considered to be one of the best returning players in the country at his position and has garnered preseason All-America honors from a handful of media organizations. Competing to start at the opposite safety spot is senior Jonathan Sutherland, a reliable backup who has plenty of experience despite playing in a reserve role to this point in his Penn State career. Also fac- toring into that competition is senior Ji'Ayir Brown, a juco transfer who earned plenty of plaudits from his teammates and coaches this past spring, and a handful of younger players who will be looking to vie for defensive snaps this fall. The cornerback position returns all of its major contributors from a season ago, and there have been some potentially impactful acquisitions, as well. In July, Penn State officially announced junior A.J. Lytton as its sixth transfer addition of the offseason. Lytton, a top-100 recruit out of Upper Marlboro, Md., began his collegiate career with Florida State, then left the program before the 2020 season after starting one game in two seasons with the Semi- noles. Lytton, who checks in at 5-11, 180 pounds, will have two seasons of eligibility at Penn State. He's not the only addition Penn State made at the cornerback spot this offseason. Junior Johnny Dixon, a regular starter for South Carolina last year, joined the Nittany Lions as well. Penn State now has some serious cornerback depth when one factors in redshirt sophomore Joey Por- ter Jr., who showed great potential during his redshirt freshman season, and true freshman Kalen King, who might have been the story of the spring for the Nittany Lions. Penn State also got some good news from senior cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields, who missed all but three games with an injury last fall and elected to return rather than test the waters in the NFL. His top priority this season is staying healthy, Castro-Fields said. But he's trying to approach every day with a clear mind rather than focusing on the threat of injury. "I'm not thinking about it constantly," he said. "If you think about getting hurt, you're going to get hurt. I think you've just got to focus on the task at hand and play football. Injuries are a part of football. That's not really coming across my mind at all. I'm just ready to ball." — David Eckert Franklin Hails Secondary Unit As His Best At Penn State Senior safety Jaquan Brisker finished third on the team in tackles last sesaon with 57. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS