Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1509432
N O V E M B E R 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 and doing so with a tireless approach, this position group is poised to exert even greater influence on the outcome of games in October and November. Grade: A DEFENSIVE TACKLE: Over the summer, Franklin shifted the tone of the conversation around this position group, downplaying concerns that Penn State's defensive tackles were too light to be successful in the Big Ten. During the first half of the season, his assess- ment proved prescient. Junior Coziah Izzard, a projected starter, missed the first two games of the season with an unspecified injury, and while his absence was noticeable, Penn State's interior defensive linemen rose to the occasion. Sophomore Zane Durant, redshirt senior Hakeem Beamon and redshirt sophomore Jordan van den Berg have created backfield pressure consis- tently, while Izzard and redshirt senior Dvon Ellies have been two of the surest tacklers on the defense. While Penn State rightfully had con- cerns over losing PJ Mustipher from last season, the result has echoed what's been going on at defensive end. The Nittany Lions have improved weekly at gap accountability, and their run- stopping proficiency has started in the middle. Through five games, Penn State was ranked seventh nationally against the run, allowing only 74.2 yards per game. That the Lions did it against run-ori- ented teams such as Iowa and Illinois that gave them problems in the past was an encouraging sign. They also held West Virginia to 146 yards on the ground, and the Mountaineers have one of the better offensive lines that PSU will see this season. There are remaining hurdles for this group coming up. The interior offen- sive lines of Ohio State and Michigan will create challenges, especially given that the Buckeyes and Wolverines are fielding balanced offenses that can keep a defense on its heels. So far, though, Penn State's defensive tackles have lived up to Franklin's offseason praise and made big contributions to the team's recent success. Grade: B LINEBACKER: Meeting with re- porters during Penn State's bye week in early October, defensive coordinator Manny Diaz talked admiringly about the transformation he had seen at this posi- tion group through the first five games. "I like the fact that as a unit, we're starting to feel the soul of our defense," he said. "The guys are enjoying playing for and with one another, and you're seeing our playmaking distributed among a wide group of guys, which is what we want. That means everyone is doing their job. Whoever is there to make the play is making it." Diaz didn't cite any names, but the performance of sophomores Abdul Carter, Kobe King and Dominic De- Luca, and junior Curtis Jacobs certainly qualify. Penn State's linebackers have come up with timely sacks, tackles, forced fumbles, fumble recoveries and interceptions, with more juice left to squeeze. Jacobs (18), King (14), DeLuca (13) and Carter (12) were all among the Lions' top seven tacklers. Like the defensive ends, Carter has come oh-so-close to truly upending games the way he did in the final five contests of the 2022 season. Diaz said he believes those plays will come now that Carter is pressing less, and they're likely to come sooner rather than later. Grade: B SECONDARY: Preseason All-Big Ten performer Kalen King was without an interception through the team's first five games. Redshirt sophomore safety Zakee Wheatley, one of the Nittany Li- ons' takeaway kings in practice, was in the same boat. For Penn State's secondary this sea- son, in some respects, that's the point. The Nittany Lions were leading the Redshirt senior defensive end Adisa Isaac led the Nittany Lions with 2.5 sacks in their first five games of the season. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL