Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1472993
6 8 A U G U S T 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 LINEBACKERS PRESEASON ANALYSIS ★★★★★ National Title; ★★★★ Top 10; ★★★ Top 25; ★★ Too Unproven; ★ Major Concern STARTERS ★★★ Penn State knew it would lose middle line- backer Ellis Brooks after the 2021 season, but the loss of Will outside linebacker Brandon Smith was something of a surprise. He was selected in the third round of the NFL Draft by the Carolina Pan- thers, so Smith has to be feeling good about his decision. As for the Nittany Lions, they're feeling a little more conflicted about it. Penn State has just one returning starter at linebacker in third-year sophomore Curtis Jacobs. He was tied for sixth on the team last year with 61 tackles and showed the potential to become the next Nittany Lion linebacker drafted into the NFL. With Brooks and Smith sitting out, Jacobs had a strong performance in the Outback Bowl against Arkansas, totaling a career-high 10 tackles and a sack. Expected to succeed Smith at the weakside linebacker position this fall, Jacobs isn't a concern. The other two positions are concerns, however. Going into the preseason camp, the Mike position is set to feature a battle between redshirt sopho- more Tyler Elsdon and redshirt freshman Kobe King. No matter which one starts, he'll be thrown into the fire. At the Sam linebacker spot, sixth-year senior Jonathan Sutherland is moving over from safety. He has plenty of experience, but at 5-11, 210 pounds, he'll be one of the smallest linebackers in the Big Ten. EXPERIENCE ★ Jacobs is by far the most experienced returning player at this position group, and even he has only really played one full season. Last year, he was on the field for 605 snaps, so he knows what to expect and will be ready this fall. Sutherland totaled 470 snaps last season, but he was in the box for only 130 of those. When you subtract his 157 snaps on special teams, you're left with a very inexperienced outside linebacker. Behind those two, it's worrisome. Elsdon and King have combined for just 118 snaps (79 for Els- don, 39 for King). Senior Charlie Katshir has been in the program for four seasons but hasn't been able to stay healthy, while redshirt freshman Jamari Buddin will likely be Jacobs' backup. He played against Villanova and Ball State, but that's about it so far. DEPTH ★ Penn State signed two talented freshmen in its most recent class in Abdul Carter and Keon Wylie, both of whom grew up in Philadelphia. Carter, who played at La Salle College High, earned a four-star rating in the On3 Consensus, sitting at No. 223 nationally. Wylie received a three-star rating in the Consensus Rankings, coming in at No. 520 overall. Wylie played mostly defensive end in high school, so he'll need some time before he sees the field. Physically, Carter is a very impressive prospect at 6-3, 235 pounds, so if anyone is going to rise up and surprise some people this season, he's the most likely candidate. Walk-on linebacker Dominic DeLuca, a redshirt freshman, is also coming off a strong spring. He was one of the top performers in April's Blue-White Game and was named Penn State's Developmental Squad Defensive Player of the Year last season alongside redshirt freshman defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg. OVERALL GRADE ★★ Penn State has a lot of questions here, and not much time to find its answers. Will the new mid- dle linebacker be ready for difficult road games against Purdue and Auburn in the first three weeks of the season? Will Sutherland, who is far from a prototypical linebacker, make a smooth adjustment? Will Buddin emerge or potentially even Carter? Can Katshir stay healthy and get some meaningful snaps? The Nittany Lions know what they have in Ja- cobs, but if he were to suffer an injury, it could open up a whole new world of problems. Going into the season, this feels like one of the team's weaknesses, and only time will tell if that's true or not. BY THE NUMBERS 8 Number of scholarship line- backers on Penn State's roster heading into the start of preseason practice. Two of those linebackers — freshmen Abdul Carter and Keon Wylie — have yet to take a snap at the college level. 61 Tackles by Curtis Jacobs as a second-year freshman last season, tops among the Nittany Li- ons' returning linebackers. He also had 7 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, and an interception during his first season as a starter. 89 The total number of tackles made last season by play- ers who are returning and were sta- tioned at linebacker all of last season. Heading into his second season as a starter for the Nittany Lions, third-year sophomore Curtis Jacobs is moving from the Sam to the Will outside linebacker position. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL