Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1480138
O C T O B E R 2 0 2 2 2 7 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M netted a couple of pass breakups. Wilson is back to fully focusing on being a cor- nerback after a season in which he was listed as an athlete while spending some time playing both wide receiver and cornerback. That decision has helped him find a spot in the defensive rota- tion. Through four games, he was tied for sixth on the team with 2 pass breakups and was eighth in tackles with 10. All told, Penn State's defense faced many questions prior to the 2022 season. Cornerback was not necessarily one of them, but one did wonder how the play- ers behind Porter, King and Hardy would perform. It's been a strong start for the five-man group, and bigger things are expected moving forward. "I believe the whole group, the whole defense is playing well," safety Jaylen Reed said. "Not just the corners. I think everybody is doing a good job. "We're all getting that brotherhood. I think everybody is playing well. Every- body is playing well enough and we're winning. That's the only thing that mat- ters right now." ■ It wasn't just the cornerbacks who shined during Penn State's recently completed nonconference season. The safeties, too, were playing well, both in pass coverage and run support. Entering the fall, safeties coach Anthony Poindexter knew exactly what he had in super senior Ji'Ayir Brown. A product of Penn State's gushing Lackawanna College pipeline, Brown tied for the FBS lead with 6 intercep- tions last year and decided to come back in hope of improving his NFL Draft stock and honing his leadership skills. So far, he's done exactly that, as evidenced by his acrobatic interception in the second half of the Auburn game, which put an end to any chance of a late comeback by the hosts. But the biggest news to come out of this position group so far is how those playing next to Brown have performed. The Lions have used a three- man rotation featuring fourth-year junior Keaton Ellis as the starter, with sophomore Jaylen Reed and redshirt freshman Zakee Wheatley seeing frequent action as backups. All three have flourished so far. Wheatley, who was the team leader in takeaways during PSU's offseason practices, has already secured 2 inter- ceptions. The speedy Reed has been used as a blitzer, especially on third down, and Ellis is a steady presence who does everything well while bring- ing along his younger teammates. "They all bring a unique skill set," Poindexter said. "Keaton brings a vet- eran presence to the room. He played corner and now he's playing safety, and he's played a lot of football here. J-Reed played some last year and got a chance to play an extensive role in a bowl game. He may be one of our best football players as far as just knowing football. "Then, you bring Zakee into the room, and he actually had the same path as Keaton in playing corner [when he began his PSU career]. He's very athletic and makes a lot of plays on the ball. "They all push each other. They all complement each other, and they all love playing with each other. It's a good room. I'm looking forward to see- ing him grow through the season." What is maybe most impressive about the group is not its on-field talent but its off-field camaraderie. There are no hard feelings about rep counts or anger over who gets to start. Instead, there is a shared belief that Poin- dexter and defensive coordinator Manny Diaz will put the right player in at the perfect time to help the defense thrive. That mindset has helped each of the safeties grow individually and al- lowed the position group to flourish as a whole, even if they were learning a new scheme and working some players into big roles for the first time. "We all knew we were going to play," Reed said. "It was no hate toward each other, not at all. We were always competing, but we're always fight- ing for the same thing, just to try to win. "Everyone in the safety room is going to make a play when we're on the field." That includes Brown, of course. He is the unquestioned leader of this group and has brought an impressive singlemindedness to the task at hand — improving every week and honing in on everything Diaz wants out of his defense. There was no greater example than the Lions' 41-12 win at Auburn. "I think we've been waiting to find out who we are," Brown said follow- ing the victory. "I think that's why you saw a lot more enthusiasm today, and a lot more guys excited, because we finally clicked. ... All the stuff that Manny told us was going to happen is starting to happen. "Just to see it happen, and all the work we put in, and finally getting that breakthrough how we want — that's where all the excitement and enthu- siasm from guys is coming from. We're going to continue to try to keep this enthusiasm and build on this defense and make plays." — Greg Pickel Safety Rotation Strengthens Penn State's Secondary With Jaquan Brisker off to the NFL, fourth-year junior Keaton Ellis has stepped into the starting lineup for the Nittany Lions. PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE