Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1490816
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 3 7 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M KEY LOSSES Ji'Ayir Brown | S Led Penn State in tackles (74) and inter- ceptions (4) during his super senior sea- son, enhancing his NFL Draft credentials in the process. Joey Porter Jr. | CB Earned All-Big Ten and All-America notice even though he missed time late in the season due to an appendectomy. Porter is projected to be a first-round NFL Draft choice. Marquis Wilson | CB Played on both sides of the ball at Penn State, finishing with 20 tackles as a ju- nior before entering the transfer portal in January. KEY RETURNEES Johnny Dixon | CB | Sr. Shined in the three-man cornerback rotation with Porter Jr. and Kalen King, making 10 pass breakups and 2 intercep- tions as a junior. Keaton Ellis | S | Sr. Will be a veteran presence for the Nit- tany Lions in 2023 after electing to re- turn for his bonus year of eligibility. Ellis started all 13 games for Penn State this past season. Mehki Flowers | S | R-Fr. Appeared in two games during his de- but season, getting work in the Central Michigan game and on special teams against Maryland. Daequan Hardy | CB | R-Sr. Served as a nickel cornerback in 2022, finishing with 24 tackles and 7 pass breakups. Kalen King | CB | Jr. Finished his sophomore season ranked third in the FBS with 18 pass breakups and added 3 interceptions, including an acrobatic pick in Penn State's Rose Bowl victory over Utah. Cam Miller | CB | So. Served as a steady rotational presence in the secondary and on special teams in his rookie campaign with the Nittany Li- ons. Jaylen Reed | S | Jr. Backed up Brown and was one of Penn State's surest tacklers as a sophomore. However, Reed's season ended with a set- back when he suffered an arm injury in the Rose Bowl that required surgery. Zakee Wheatley | S | R-So. Finished his redshirt freshman season with 2 interceptions and a forced fumble. Kevin Winston Jr. | S | So. Received the second-most game reps of any Penn State freshman defensive back last fall, trailing only Miller. Made 16 tack- les, including 1 for loss. NEWCOMERS Storm Duck | CB | Sr. Was a second-team All-ACC pick at North Carolina last fall, finishing with 3 interceptions and 12 passes defended be- fore transferring to Penn State in January. King Mack | CB | Fr. Listed as a four-star safety prospect in the On3 Consensus but is expected to begin his Penn State career at cornerback. DaKaari Nelson | S | Fr. Holds a four-star rating in the On3 Consensus and checks in as the No. 198 overall prospect nationally in the 2023 class. Lamont Payne | CB | Fr. Already on campus as one of 14 new- comers who have joined the program for the spring semester. Zion Tracy | CB | Fr. Another midyear enrollee and the No. 200 overall prospect in On3's rankings for the 2023 class. Elliot Washington II | CB | Fr. An elite athlete who immediately turned heads upon his arrival at Penn State as a spring enrollee. Despite Losses, Lions Return A Talented Secondary 2023 Outlook Penn State spent the 2022 season touting its talent and production in the secondary. Boast- ing lockdown cornerbacks and playmaking safeties, the Nittany Lions backed up the hype with on-field performances to match. "We would make an argument that we've got two of the best, if not three or four of the best, corners in the country," head coach James Franklin said. Losing a pair of NFL-caliber starters — cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and safety Ji'Ayir Brown — is significant, but the coaches have ample talent returning. Junior Kalen King and senior Johnny Dixon are next in line in the NFL pipeline that cornerbacks coach Terry Smith has established, while junior Jaylen Reed and redshirt sophomore Zakee Wheatley appear ready to step forward at safety. "I could throw a bunch of guys in there when you talk about breakups, interceptions and things like that," Franklin said. "They've done a really good job all year long. On top of that, they're willing tacklers, and that's not al- ways the case at that [cornerback] position." With a number of proven playmakers on hand, Penn State's secondary shouldn't take any steps backward next season. — Nate Bauer Senior safety Keaton Ellis started all 13 games for the Nittany Lions last fall, finishing with 24 tackles and 7 pass breakups. PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE 2023 LOOK AHEAD DEFENSIVE BACKS