Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1514597
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4 3 9 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 2024 LOOK AHEAD DEFENSIVE BACKS KEY LOSSES Johnny Dixon | CB | Jr. Dixon leaves as arguably the Nittany Lions' top-performing corner, notching a Big Ten-best 3 sacks as a corner while making 10 pass breakups. Keaton Ellis | S | R-Sr. Finished his Penn State career as a steady presence in the Nittany Lion sec- ondary, notching 17 stops and 1 pick. Daequan Hardy | CB | Jr. Tallied a team-high 7 pass breakups during the 2023 season. Kalen King | CB | Jr. Started 12 games for the Nittany Li- ons, finishing with 29 tackles and 2 pass breakups. KEY RETURNEES Audavion Collins | CB | R-So. Played in only five games during his first season at PSU after transferring from Mississippi State, finishing with 3 stops. Mehki Flowers | S | R-So. Spent his second season at Penn State as a deep reserve in the safeties room, finishing with 2 tackles. King Mack | S | So. Quickly earned a special teams role during his true freshman season, play- ing in 12 games and making 3 tackles. Cam Miller | CB | Jr. Capped his sophomore season with a starting turn in the Peach Bowl. For the year, Miller made 24 tackles with 4 stops for loss and 3 sacks. Tyrece Mills | S | R-Sr. Was a deep reserve in the safeties room, playing in just four games and making 2 tackles. DaKaari Nelson | S | R-Fr. Played in just one game in his debut season, preserving his redshirt. Lamont Payne Jr. | CB | R-Fr. Held onto his freshman eligibility by appearing in just two games in 2023. Jaylen Reed | S | Sr. Produced an excellent junior cam- paign, finishing with 46 tackles, includ- ing 4 for loss and a sack, to go along with a pair of interceptions. Zion Tracy | CB | So. Played on both defense and special teams while notching 13 stops in 2023. Elliot Washington | CB | So. Played in 10 games, appearing as much on special teams as at cornerback. He finished with 9 tackles. Zakee Wheatley | S | R-Jr. Was the fourth safety in the rotation and finished with 24 tackles in 2023. Kevin Winston Jr. | S | Jr. Ascended to a starting role in his sec- ond season as a Nittany Lion and made a huge splash. His 61 tackles led the team. He also notched an interception, 2 fum- ble recoveries and 5 pass breakups. NEWCOMERS Antoine Belgrave-Shorter | CB | Fr. One of two 2024 cornerbacks to en- roll in January, joining Jon Mitchell, his teammate at Mandarin High in Jackson- ville, Fla. A.J. Harris | CB | So. Former four-star recruit who picked the Nittany Lions after spending one sea- son at Georgia, where he made 8 tackles. Jalen Kimber | CB | R-Sr. Originally at Georgia, Kimber spent the 2022 and '23 seasons at Florida before transferring to Penn State in January. Jon Mitchell | CB | Fr. The early enrollees brings with him a No. 118 designation in the On3 Industry Ranking with four-star status. Dejuan Lane | S | Fr. Is a four-star safety according to the On3 Industry Ranking. Vaboue Toure | S | Fr. January enrollee has four-star status according to the On3 Industry Ranking. Kenny Wosley | CB | Fr. Will enroll at Penn State this summer, bringing with him three-star On3 Indus- try Ranking status. 2024 Outlook With a pair of opt-outs in the Peach Bowl for King and Dixon, Penn State had an early look at what life will be like for the 2024 season at cornerback in their absences. Miller is in line for a significantly expanded role, but the addition of Harris and Kimber in the transfer portal was for obvious reasons, with PSU need - ing both depth and experience at the position. The safety spots have less uncertainty, with Reed, Winston, Wheatley and Mack all coming back after productive campaigns last season. The Nittany Lions' secondary will likely rely heavily on leadership from this position group. — Nate Bauer Returnees, Transfers Offer Cause For Optimism In Secondary Safety Jaylen Reed came on strong as a junior, finishing with 46 tackles and 2 interceptions. PHOTO COURTESY PENN STATE ATHLETICS