Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1490816
3 6 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M KEY LOSSES Jamari Buddin Totaled 8 tackles in eight games as a redshirt freshman before entering the transfer portal in January. Charlie Katshir Played in seven games and finished with 10 tackles to conclude a PSU playing career that was often hindered by injuries. Jonathan Sutherland Moved from safety to outside line- backer ahead of his super senior season and was sixth on the team with 38 tackles. KEY RETURNEES Abdul Carter | So. Was one of the best first-year defenders in the country, as evidenced by his in- clusion on several Freshman All-America teams. Carter netted 10.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and 56 stops overall. Dominic DeLuca | R-So. Played a steadily larger role as the sea- son went on and finished 10th on the team with 29 tackles. DeLuca started his ca- reer as a walk-on but was recently put on scholarship. Tyler Elsdon | Jr. Received 422 snaps at middle line- backer, a position he shared with Kobe King. Elsdon finished with 44 tackles (fourth on the team), 3 TFL and 1 sack. Curtis Jacobs | Jr. Chose to return for his fourth-year junior season after ranking third on the team in tackles last fall with 52. Jacobs totaled 7.5 tackles for loss and 4 sacks as a sophomore. Kobe King | R-So. Received 310 snaps while sharing the Mike position with Elsdon, totaling 41 tackles (fifth on the team), including 4 tackles for loss. Tyrece Mills | R-Jr. Switched from safety to linebacker in preseason camp and did not see action in his first season after transferring from Lackawanna College. Keon Wylie | R-Fr. Appeared in two games as a true fresh- man in 2022 and twice was named the scout team's defensive player of the week. NEWCOMERS Kaveion Keys | Fr. Recorded 135 tackles, 26 sacks and 21 tackles for loss in his last two seasons at Varina High in Richmond, Va. Ta'Mere Robinson | Fr. Missed his senior season at Brashear High in Pittsburgh due to a knee injury he suffered as a junior. In January, Robinson joined his fellow linebacker recruit Tony Rojas as an early enrollee at PSU. Tony Rojas | Fr. Earned a four-star rating in the On3 Consensus after finishing with 72 tackles, 13 sacks and 5 forced fumbles as a senior at Fairfax (Va.) High. 2023 Outlook Penn State returns its top two linebackers in 2023. While that will not be all it needs, junior Curtis Jacobs and sophomore Abdul Carter will log the lion's share of the reps and be counted on to take control of second- year coordinator Manny Diaz's defense. The pair spent more time on the field as the season went on in 2022, and it paid dividends. They play well as a tandem and will both be ex- pected to rank among the nation's best players at their position next season. While those two will lead the way, they will need help in the middle. Junior Tyler Elsdon and redshirt sophomore Kobe King are back to man the Mike position. Will one of them seize control of the job after splitting time last fall? Time will tell, but both have areas for improvement. Juco transfer Tyrece Mills and redshirt freshman Keon Wylie will look to provide depth as they enter Year 2 in the program. Redshirt sopho- more Dominic DeLuca will also receive reps, having recently been put on scholarship. The freshmen might also see game action, but there doesn't appear to be any need to rush them onto the field. Diaz knows what he's working with now, and that's a major difference. At this time a year ago, he was still getting to know the personnel he had inherited, and Carter was still months away from even arriving on campus. Both are now firmly established at PSU, raising expectations for what this position group can accomplish in 2023. — Greg Pickel Curtis Jacobs chose to return for his junior season after ranking third on the team with 52 tackles last season, including 7.5 for loss. PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE PSU Boasts Experience, Playmaking Ability 2023 LOOK AHEAD LINEBACKERS