Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1482664
N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 2 31 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M It was easy to write off the lack of production against teams like Purdue and Ohio as byproducts of offensive schemes that priori- tize getting the ball out quickly. But, the pass rush hasn't always been effective against more-balanced attacks, either. Robinson has been everything hoped for and more. He was turning into one of the defense's most productive players before missing the Minnesota game with an apparent injury. Getting redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Coziah Izzard back in Octo- ber after he missed September for undisclosed reasons has helped the depth situation, as well. All told, this group gets a passing grade, but we would still like to see more in the final month of the season, plus whatever bowl opportunity the Lions earn. Grade: B- Linebackers This position group was arguably the most significant question mark on defense entering the season. Penn State had a competi- tion at middle linebacker, was hopeful that third-year sophomore Curtis Jacobs would break out at outside linebacker and was eager to learn if Abdul Carter could make an immediate impact as a freshman while also wondering how moving super senior Jona- than Sutherland from safety to Sam would help. In the middle, third-year sophomore Tyler Elsdon and redshirt freshman Kobe King have been as inconsistent as one would ex- pect given their lack of experience. At times, they've looked quite good. At other times, they've looked like players who aren't ready for the role they're being asked to serve. Jacobs has been fine, but he didn't start to flash his game- wrecking potential until making 14 tackles against Minnesota. Carter, who made his first career start against the Gophers, has been on a steady ascent and is a bright spot at the position group, while Sutherland has gotten off to an up-and-down start, includ- ing some missed tackles. A lack of depth has contributed to Penn State's inconsistency. The coaching staff must focus its transfer portal efforts on find- ing some reinforcements here in the offseason. For now, even if the coaches feel that a change would be beneficial, they really have nowhere to turn. Grade: C+ Secondary Penn State's defensive backs like to say they force opposing of- fenses into a "no-fly zone." They've been very good at doing ex- actly that so far this season. The Lions raced out to an incredible national lead in both pass breakups and passes defended. They have no competition through eight weeks. After the Minnesota game, the defense had 58 pass breakups and 65 passes defended. Super senior Ji'Ayir Brown has been a commanding presence against the run and pass from his safety spot, and a strong rota- tion has formed beside him, with junior Keaton Ellis, sophomore Jaylen Reed and redshirt freshman Zakee Wheatley sharing reps. At cornerback, redshirt junior Joey Porter Jr., and sophomore Kalen King both earned midseason All-America nods from na- tional media outlets. Junior Johnny Dixon has become a stronger player in his second season in the program, and while redshirt ju nior Daequan Hardy has taken a bit of a step back from this point of view, he's still an oft-used and usually successful slot corner who plays a lot of snaps. "I think where we're a little bit different is that we have size, speed and experience," Franklin said. "Sometimes you may have a combination of those traits but not all of them, so it's extremely valuable, and we don't take it for granted at all. Those guys that we are fortunate to be playing with right now, we don't take them for granted one bit. "We talk about them all the time in our staff room. Don't get me wrong, they still need to develop, but they're doing some re- ally good things." Much credit must go to cornerbacks coach Terry Smith and safeties coach Anthony Poindexter for working with Diaz to en- sure this unit is fast, physical and disruptive. The pass breakups have sometimes led to interceptions, but even when they haven't, the secondary has still been the defense's strength thus far. It is rarely caught out of position, has a potential first-round NFL Draft pick almost entirely shutting down one side of the field by himself, and a rotation on the other side and at safety that features very limited drop-off from starters to the backups. Not every PSU position group can boast that, but this one can. Grade: A ■ Outside linebacker Curtis Jacobs had one of his best games against Minnesota, finishing with 14 tackles in the Nittany Lions' 45-17 victory. PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE