Blue White Illustrated

October 2022

Penn State Sports Magazine

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2 6 O C T O B E R 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 has 35.5-inch arms, and is typically glued to his man in coverage. As a veteran who has played for two defensive coordinators at Penn State in Brent Pry and now Manny Diaz, he is able to quickly diagnose plays at the snap, and he's a fine tackler in run support. His profile will only grow moving forward. Before the season began, cor- nerbacks coach Terry Smith said his message to Porter was to "just remain consistent, show up in the run game, tackle the ball carriers you need to tackle, and then be consis- tent in coverage. "When you look at elite cover guys, they all get beat," Smith added, "but you have to win more battles than you lose." A Big Leap Forward The Penn State cornerbacks room con- sists of more than just Porter, of course. Through four weeks, sophomore Kalen King is another great example of the tal- ent that PSU has amassed in its second- ary. He was very good in Year 1 and has taken a big leap forward, just as expected this season. Some of King's progress is a result of working alongside a potential first-round draft choice and the learning opportuni- ties that arise from that partnership. "It's been very good playing with Joey," King said. "Joey is very talented. He's got all the physical stuff. He's very smart. He's what you look for in a corner. He's getting ready to go to the NFL after the season. "I learn a lot from him. We talk about a lot of things. We go over a lot of stuff. So, I feel like having Joey Porter across from me is like a very big benefit for me." Another key player in the Nittany Li- ons' secondary is Daequan Hardy. A red- shirt junior, Hardy is perhaps the most underrated player in the Nittany Lions' defensive scheme. He's undersized at 5-foot-9, 179 pounds, but his versatility is unmatched, and he's never been reluctant to deliver a hit, even against much bigger opponents. In the second quarter of Penn State's 41-12 romp over Auburn in September, Hardy rode 6-7, 250-pound quarterback T.J. Finley down the field until help ar- rived in the form of junior cornerback Johnny Dixon. Together, the two defen- sive backs brought Finley to the turf as he approached the first down marker. Hardy is Penn State's nickel back who typically lines up in the slot, but he's played outside and thrived there as well. Rounding out the depth chart at cor- nerback are Dixon and fourth-year junior Marquis Wilson. The former is a transfer from South Carolina now in his second season with the Nittany Lions. The latter is a two-way player whose future appears to be on defense. Smith is expecting both to take a step forward this fall. "I think Johnny Dixon is far better than he was last year," the ninth-year PSU as- sistant coach said. "I think Marquis Wil- son is performing like he did two years ago. We know what Joey Porter and Kalen King are going to bring, and Daequan Hardy, too. "So, the addition of those two at the back end gives us a strong five-guy rotation. I think we're as good as we've ever been here. Those guys are just working humbly to get better each day. That's what I love about this group. They don't talk too much. They want to go out and perform, and they want to perform for each other. That's when you have special units, when these guys are so close. They care about each other, and they play for each other." Team Effort So far, the season has played out just as Smith envisioned. Dixon has been active behind the line of scrimmage and has Kalen King has emerged as one of Penn State's top young defensive backs as a sophomore. He had 6 pass breakups through the Nittany Lions' first four games. PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE "When you look at elite cover guys, they all get beat, but you have to win more battles than you lose." C O R N E R B A C K S C O A C H T E R R Y S M I T H

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