Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1503568
A U G U S T 2 0 2 3 7 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M DEFENSIVE BACKS / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / D E F E N S I V E B A C K S / / / / / / / 2022 vs. 2023: Stock Up Or Down? Half of last year's starting secondary is in the NFL this summer, with corner- back Joey Porter Jr. having been chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the first pick in the second round of April's draft and safety Ji'Ayir Brown going to the San Francisco 49ers in the third round. The departure of those key players has given rise to questions about whether Penn State will be able to replicate its performance from last year, when it fin- ished second in the nation in team pass-efficiency defense with a 103.24 rating. There's no consensus among the pundits. Penn State's secondary is ranked No. 1 in the nation by Phil Steele and No. 3 by Athlon, but it doesn't appear anywhere in Lindy's top 10. Still, that this is even a question is a reflection of the talent Penn State has amassed in its secondary. Porter's replacement, senior Johnny Dixon, started six games last season and was an honorable mention All-Big Ten pick. Brown's successor, most likely junior Jaylen Reed, has seen action in 21 games during his two years at PSU and is eying a breakout year. As for the team's two returning starters, junior cornerback Kalen King and senior safety Keaton Ellis, both are savvy, proven veterans, as is redshirt senior nickel cornerback Daequan Hardy. At the very least, Penn State's stock is holding steady here. X-Factor The Lions have two outstanding starters at cornerback, but do they have the depth they need at the position? A year ago, Porter ended up missing two late- season games against Maryland and Rutgers due to appendicitis, and he also sat out the Rose Bowl. The Lions weathered his loss just fine because they had Dixon ready to step into a starting role. This year, Penn State thought it had scored a big win in the transfer portal when it picked up senior Storm Duck from North Carolina, but he flew south again when spring practice didn't go the way he had hoped, landing in Louisville. His abrupt exit has left PSU with some concerns heading into preseason camp. Freshman Outlook Four of the Nittany Lions' eight scholarship cornerbacks have freshman eligibility, so there's a good chance someone is going to play. Of the three true freshmen, Elliot Washington II may be the best bet. At 5-foot-11, 192 pounds, the four-star prospect from Venice, Fla., has the right size, as well as sub-4.4- second 40-yard speed. The Lions also have a redshirt freshman in Audavion Collins. A transfer from Mississippi State, Collins arrived after Duck's exit. The coaches will be eager to assess his potential in preseason camp. The safety positions look deeper, with redshirt sophomore Zakee Wheatley and sophomore Kevin Winston Jr. set to see ample playing time, even if they aren't in the starting lineup. While it wouldn't be surprising to see true frosh DaKaari Nelson and King Mack hit the four-game threshold, Penn State would likely prefer to redshirt both. — Matt Herb Quick Facts Position coaches: Terry Smith (cornerbacks, 10th season); Anthony Poindexter (safeties, 3rd season) Returning starters: CB Kalen King (10 career starts), S Keaton Ellis (20) Departing starters: CB Joey Porter Jr. (31), S Ji'Ayir Brown (26) Projected new starters: CB Johnny Dixon (6), S Jaylen Reed Top reserves: CB Daequan Hardy, CB Cam Miller, S Zakee Wheatley, S Kevin Winston Jr. Newcomers: CB Audavion Collins, CB Lamont Payne Jr., CB Zion Tracy, CB Elliot Washington II, S King Mack, S DaKaari Nelson Moved in: None Moved out: Cristian Driver Scholarship Players (16) No. Name Cl. Ht. Wt. CORNERBACK 25 Daequan Hardy R-Sr. 5-9 181 3 Johnny Dixon Sr. 6-0 191 4 Kalen King Jr. 5-11 191 5 Cam Miller So. 6-0 182 29 Audavion Collins R-Fr. 5-11 170 27 Lamont Payne Jr. Fr. 6-0 197 12 Zion Tracy Fr. 5-11 182 16 Elliot Washington II Fr. 5-11 192 SAFETY 2 Keaton Ellis Sr. 5-11 192 14 Tyrece Mills R-Jr. 6-1 200 1 Jaylen Reed Jr. 6-0 208 6 Zakee Wheatley R-So. 6-2 196 21 Kevin Winston Jr. So. 6-2 204 10 Mehki Flowers R-Fr. 6-0 197 9 King Mack Fr. 5-10 190 8 DaKaari Nelson Fr. 6-3 217 Safety Jaylen Reed is a strong contender to join the starting lineup heading into his junior season. He saw action in 21 games in his first two years at PSU. PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE