Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1519242
M A Y 2 0 2 4 3 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M On its own, that would be great news for Penn State. Combine Carter's quick ascent with the returning talent in the room, though, and the potential for an- other big year is evident. Boasting a set of four defensive tackles with years of production and experience in junior Zane Durant, se- nior Coziah Izzard, and super seniors Dvon Ellies and Hakeem Beamon, plus a set of game-wrecking edge rushers in Carter and junior Dani Dennis-Sutton, the Nittany Lions have assembled the kind of talent base that Allen never had at Indiana. "I think there's no question that up front is a glaring difference — the depth of those guys and the amount of guys who have length and can run," Allen said. "There's no question it allows you to do some more things without having to take chances." During his tenure with the Hoosiers, Allen was often forced to put his defen- sive backs in vulnerable situations in or- der to deploy enough manpower to create pressure on the quarterback. That's not the case at Penn State. The ability of the defensive line to generate pressure will be a foundational element of Allen's unit moving forward. Linebacker Carter's move to defensive end may have strengthened the front four, but it was not without an equal and opposite effect in the room he vacated. Franklin was upfront about that reality early in the spring and continued to point out that the absence of one of the linebacker unit's most elite players would have an impact. The positive for the Nittany Lion de- fense, however, is that there's a base around which to build, along with some youthful potential. A steadily developing performer in the middle, Kobe King re- turns for his redshirt junior year in 2024. Beside him, while shifting toward a 4-2-5 alignment, will be rising sophomore Tony Rojas. Adding the experience of senior Tyler Elsdon and redshirt junior Dominic DeLuca to the equation, Penn State has a wealth of familiar players. "I've been pleased with them," Frank- lin said. "We got a group of guys that have played a lot of football for us." Franklin wasn't finished, though. "We've got a group of guys who need to take the next step that we're excited about," he continued, pointing out red- shirt freshmen Ta'Mere Robinson and Kaveion Keys. "Those young guys need to continue to grow up and evolve, and we're seeing signs of it. Hopefully, they'll … go into the summer with some confidence. "We've got to create some more depth there to feel good about it. Moving Ab- dul to defensive end, everybody's excited about it, but it has an impact on our line- backers room, too." Secondary Most years, the departure of three cornerbacks who are likely to hear their names called during the NFL Draft would be cause for concern, at Penn State or in any other college program. The Nittany Lion secondary has proven atypical in that regard this spring. Shepherded by Smith, who has helped create a consistent line of top-end talent in the room during his 10 years leading the position, Penn State's cornerback corps appears poised to continue that streak in 2024. "We lost three guys that we think will potentially get drafted this year," Smith said toward the end of spring drills. "But I think this room might be deeper. My challenge right now is to figure out the first two guys who go out there to start, and then the rotation guys. Where to put them all and how much to play all of them. "These guys have created some chal- lenges in that sense, and that's a good thing. So, it's a lot deeper today than on Day 1 of spring ball." Paired with junior Cam Miller, the un- questioned leader of the room, Georgia transfer A.J. Harris has helped to create those conditions with his quick acclima- tion to PSU. The whirlwind of competi- tion also featured redshirt senior transfer Jalen Kimber, sophomores Zion Tracy and Elliot Washington II, and redshirt sopho- more Audavion Collins. With an abundance of talent on hand, the depth chart was still taking shape when spring practice ended. As Smith noted, it's a good problem to have. The situation is clearer at safety, where Penn State boasts two returning start- ers in senior Jaylen Reed and junior Kevin Winston Jr. Redshirt junior Zakee Wheat- ley also had a strong showing this spring, which he capped with an interception in the Blue-White Game. ■ Transfer cornerback A.J. Harris made an impressive debut in the Blue-White Game, finishing with a game-high 7 tackles, including 2 for loss, and a pass breakup. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL