Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1467458
1 4 J U N E / J U L 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 The Defense Showed Its Potential Throughout Spring Practice PHIL GROSZ: With Penn State losing seven starters on this side of the ball, I might not have believed it if someone had said a couple of months ago that the defense would come out of spring practice better prepared to face the rigors of the upcoming schedule than the offense. But after watching the Blue-White Game three times on my DVR, that is exactly how I feel. There are three reasons why I believe that is the case. First, Penn State may have the best secondary in the Big Ten, even after los- ing safety Jaquan Brisker to the NFL. There are three quality players vying to replace Brisker: fourth-year junior Keaton Ellis, sophomore Jaylen Reed and redshirt freshman Zakee Wheatley. Wheatley was one of the team's most buzzed-about players this spring, and his classmate Reed had an impactful freshman season in which he saw action in eight games. It also appears that Penn State is well along in its efforts to rebuild the line- backer corps after the loss of two starters. The Lions had only five scholarship linebackers available in spring practice, with oft-injured senior Charlie Katshir hurt again. But third-year sophomore Curtis Jacobs had an outstanding spring practice and looked great at the Will outside linebacker position in the Blue- White Game. Also, super senior Jonathan Sutherland appears to be well suited to play the Sam outside linebacker spot, a hybrid position in coordinator Manny Diaz's 4-2-5 defense. Finally, I believe the situation on the defensive line is better than it appeared in March. Redshirt junior end Adisa Isaac was back in action this spring, and his return, coupled with the impending arrival of Maryland transfer Demeioun Robinson and five-star freshman Dani Dennis-Sutton, will boost this group. What's more, senior tackle PJ Mustipher said this spring that he's recovering nicely from last year's season-ending knee injury, while true freshman Zane Durant has made a very strong first impression. Newcomers Have Helped Put The Offense In Position To Succeed MATT HERB: As much as I love college football, I do not love it enough to watch the Blue-White Game three times. Maybe that puts me at a disadvan- tage in this debate. But then again, maybe not. Does the spring game ever re- ally tell us much about what's in store for the fall? I would argue that it doesn't, given all the safety precautions and the desire to avoid showing anything on the Big Ten Network that opposing coaches could use ahead of the season opener. The fact that PSU's quarterbacks went a combined 17 of 38 for 184 yards while its running backs averaged 3.5 yards per carry — numbers that looked eerily similar to last season's — doesn't faze me. That's because Penn State has the personnel it needs in order to improve on last year's average of 25 points per game. A year ago, the Lions didn't have any depth at quarterback after Will Levis bolted for Kentucky. Now, they've got three promising young passers behind sixth-year senior Sean Clifford. A year ago, the Lions didn't have enough big-play potential in the backfield to scare opposing defenses. Now they've got two excit- ing freshmen who, at the very least, will push third-year sophomore Keyvone Lee, redshirt sophomore Caziah Holmes and junior Devyn Ford for carries. The big question is whether they have enough muscle on the offensive line to get the most out of that talent. But there too, the Lions have the makings of an improved unit. Third-year sophomore tackle Olu Fashanu wasn't ready to play a major role in the offense a year ago. He's ready now, and so is redshirt freshman guard Landon Tengwall. Another big piece of news this spring was the healthy return of redshirt junior guard Sal Wormley, a potential starter. This offense isn't a finished product by any means, but it would be a mistake to assume that the Blue-White Game was representative of its potential. By all accounts, PSU has been on an upward trajectory, and that's what you want to see coming out of spring practice. Point - Counterpoint James Franklin is looking to lead Penn State to a bounce- back season after it went 7-6 in 2021 with losses in six of its last eight games. PHOTO BY GREG PICKEL On Which Side Of The Ball Did Penn State Have A Better Spring — Offense Or Defense?