Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1476228
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M M anny Diaz doesn't need a history lesson to understand the dynam- ics of the position group he now coaches at Penn State. Taking over for Brent Pry as the Nit- tany Lions' new defensive coordinator this season, he's also in charge of the team's linebackers. For the first time in Penn State's recent history, that respon- sibility has taken on an unfamiliar char- acteristic. When faced with an uncomfortable truth — that the linebackers were re- cently described by head coach James Franklin as one of the team's biggest question marks going into the 2022 sea- son — Diaz leaned in. "Look, these guys all signed to come to Penn State. They all signed up to come to Linebacker U. They don't like being labeled a question of our defense," Diaz told reporters at the team's preseason media day at Beaver Stadium. "I understand they have to prove it. Right now, it's potential over perfor- mance. But they get reminded daily in settings like this that they're referred to as the giant question mark. They weren't recruited to be a question mark, I would imagine." That they are a question mark isn't any fault of the players, of course. Coming out of an offseason in which veteran middle linebacker Ellis Brooks and dynamic Will linebacker Brandon Smith both headed to the NFL, continu- ity was already in question for the group. That Brooks' backup, linebacker/de- fensive end Jesse Luketa, also moved on to the pros was another big blow, costing PSU a wealth of game experience. Be- tween those three players, the Lions lost a combined total of 5,557 game reps. The vacancies prompted PSU's coaching staff to move third-year soph- omore Curtis Jacobs, the most experi- enced linebacker still on the roster, from Sam to Will. They also set the stage for a nine-month offseason competition be- tween third-year sophomore Tyler Els- don and redshirt freshman Kobe King at the Mike spot. As if that weren't enough change for one offseason, Penn State has also created a new position. Diaz labels his field outside linebacker the "striker," and the shift in philosophy resulted in both super senior Jonathan Sutherland and redshirt freshman Dominic DeLuca moving over from safety. It also led Penn State to station recently arrived junior college transfer Tyrece Mills at linebacker rather than safety, where he had been expected to play. Throw in a couple of true freshmen — Abdul Carter at the Will and Keon Wylie at the Mike — and the move of redshirt freshman Jamari Buddin from Sam to Will, and the offseason of change is noth- ing if not comprehensive. Acknowledging a complex reality is not the same as expressing pessimism, though. Affirming that Penn State looked to the transfer portal in the offseason, Diaz insisted the staff "didn't feel that any of the options would have improved" the Lions' personnel situation. Critically, having come out of spring practice feeling much more confident that both Elsdon and King were able to fulfill the job, and that Jacobs' switch to Will was a good fit, Diaz said that the decision to stand pat at the position was a reflection of how well the group had performed. Still, tests remain in translating posi- tive offseason strides into game action. Diaz said he's confident that both Elsdon and King have the physical and mental skills to hold the starting job, but they've not yet proven they have the consistency that Penn State needs. As the quarter- back of the defense, the middle line- backer must command the trust of the entire unit. "Both guys can do it. Both guys can play, and I think they both have the con- fidence that they can play," Diaz said. "But can you be the down-after-down guy who has the respect of everybody on the defense, so that when the linebacker says, 'Hey, this is a left call,' the defen- sive end, the Will linebacker, the safety behind him, everybody says, 'Yes, he's correct'? "We talk about trust being consistency over time. … If I get mentally tired and then one day I have a bad day, as a middle linebacker, that's going to erode the trust of the rest of the defense." Diaz knows those questions loom atypically large over Penn State's line- backers this preseason, but he doesn't sound overly concerned with finding resolutions. Noting that discomfort can lead to growth, he is looking to impart a consistent message to the linebackers, and the defense as a whole. "I think a lot of times you play your best defense when you have a chip on your shoulder," he said. "Certainly, it's not our goal at linebacker to be the weak- ness of the defense. I think those guys understand that the standard at this university never changes. There's a lot expected of them, and to me, that's why they're here." In the coming weeks and months, they'll have the opportunity to prove it. ■ PSU's linebacker corps has undergone big changes since last season, but first-year defensive coordinator Manny Diaz anticipates that his players will adapt quickly. "There's a lot expected of them," he said, "and to me, that's why they're here." PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE O P I N I O N NATE BAUER NATE.BAUER@ON3.COM HOT READ The Standard Never Changes, Even If Everything Else Does