Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1445781
3 2 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 2 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M In Diaz, Penn State found a coordina- tor who checks all the necessary boxes, and it found him quickly. Diaz will likely benefit from the healthy return of defensive linemen PJ Mustipher and Adisa Isaac, who missed a combined 20 games last year with sea- son-ending injuries. The Lions also got a big lift from the decisions by defensive backs Ji'Ayir Brown, Joey Porter Jr. and Jonathan Sutherland to return for one more college season. Brown, who tied for the FBS lead with six interceptions, and Porter both started all 13 games last year. Here's a position-by-position look at how the Nittany Lions' defense is shap- ing up, along with a preview of the spe- cial teams units, which also will be under the direction of a new coordinator next season. DEFENSIVE LINE KEY RETURNEES: DE: Adisa Isaac (R-Jr.), Zuriah Fisher (R-So.), Rodney McGraw (R-Fr.), Bryce Mostella (R-So.), Nick Tarburton (Sr.), Davon Townley Jr. (R-Fr.), Smith Vilbert (R-Jr.); DT: Ha- keem Beamon (R-Jr.), Cole Brevard (R- So.), Dvon Ellies (R-Jr.), Coziah Izzard (R-So.), Fatorma Mulbah (R-So.), PJ Mustipher (Sr.+), Jordan van den Berg (R-So.), Amin Vanover (R-So.) KEY LOSSES: DE: Arnold Ebiketie, Jesse Luketa; DT: Joseph Appiah Darkwa, Fred Hansard, Aeneas Hawkins, Derrick Tangelo NEWCOMERS: DT: Kaleb Artis (Fr.), Zane Durant (Fr.); DE: Dani Dennis-Sut- ton (Fr.), Ken Talley (Fr.) OUTLOOK: Penn State is probably in a bit better shape here than it might have anticipated four or five months ago. That's because the Nittany Lions never expected to have Mustipher back in 2022. However, the veteran defensive tack- le's path to the NFL was detoured when he suffered a season-ending lower-body injury against Iowa in Week 6. He'll re- turn for his fifth season, giving the Li- ons a powerful run-stuffer in the middle of their defensive front and a respected team leader in their locker room. Tangelo joined Mustipher on the side- line in the Outback Bowl, having opted to sit out the game to prepare for the NFL Draft. Ellies, a redshirt sophomore, and Izzard, a redshirt freshman, started at defensive tackle against Arkansas. Shorthanded from the start, the Lions' defensive front faded in the game's sec- ond half, and the Razorbacks ended up rushing for 361 yards. For the season, Penn State ranked 10th in the Big Ten against the run, allowing 152.4 yards per game. The Lions had a habit of stiffening up in the red zone, as evidenced by their defensive scoring average of 17.3 points allowed per game, third-best in the league. The staff would no doubt love to see that rushing average plunge in 2022. If healthy, Mustipher is the kind of player who can help make that happen. The defensive end spots are another area where an injured player figures to brighten their outlook. Isaac didn't play a single snap in 2021, but if he's fully recovered from the undisclosed injury that he suffered in the offseason, he'll be well-positioned to build on his first two years at Penn State in which he saw ac- tion in 20 games. The Lions also bring back Tarburton, who started eight games last season and will be a fifth-year senior next fall. And they've got Vilbert back for his redshirt junior season. Vilbert stepped in for Ebiketie in the Outback Bowl after the Nittany Lions' sack leader opted out. Seeing the first extended action of his career, he tied a bowl record with three sacks. As a team, Penn State finished eighth in the Big Ten with 26 sacks in 2021, and in Ebiketie, it is losing a player who supplied more than a third of that total (9.5). The coaching staff will be look- ing for someone to establish himself as a quarterback-menacing threat, especially with new coordinator Diaz promising a high-pressure scheme that makes plays on the offense's side of the line of scrim- mage. Maybe Isaac is the right man for that job. Maybe it's Vilbert's time to shine. Or maybe Dennis-Sutton, an On3 Con- sensus five-star prospect, will be able to make a major impact as a true freshman. One thing is certain: The Lions need some players to step forward at all of the defensive line spots. Franklin has said that he wants his rotations at both de- fensive tackle and defensive end to in- clude at least five players. "That's when we've been at our best, when we've had a rotation of five guys," he said. They're not there yet, but with Mustipher and Isaac back, they're mak- ing some headway. QUOTABLE: Luketa on Vilbert's future following his three-sack perfor- mance in the Outback Bowl: "This is exactly who Smith is going to be mov- ing forward. He's an extremely talented player, and he's finally going to be able to come into himself and display that. He can be as dominant as anyone in the country." LINEBACKER KEY RETURNEES: MLB: Tyler Els- don (R-So.), Kobe King (R-Fr.); OLB: Ja- mari Buddin (R-Fr.), Curtis Jacobs (Jr.), Charlie Katshir (Sr.) KEY LOSSES: MLB: Ellis Brooks; OLB: Brandon Smith NEWCOMERS: Abdul Carter (Fr.), Keon Wylie (Fr.) OUTLOOK: This group was very thin in the Outback Bowl after Brooks and Smith both opted out, and it's not look- ing all that deep for 2022, either. Jacobs will be the only returning starter here when he presumably steps back into the Sam outside linebacker role he filled this past season. Jacobs had a solid year in his first season as a starter, tying for sixth on the team with 61 stops. The 6-1, 230-pounder has the versatility that the position requires, having shown the ability to tackle ball carriers in space while also making plays in the backfield, as evidenced by his seven tackles for loss and three sacks. So, the Sam spot appears to be in good hands. Elsewhere, however, the Lions have some questions to answer. In the mid- dle, Elsdon will be back for his redshirt sophomore season after seeing action in 12 games this past year, and he'll be chal- lenged by King, who played in four games as a true freshman. Franklin had said ahead of the Outback