Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1519242
1 2 M A Y 2 0 2 4 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Even A er A Personnel Overhaul, The Cornerbacks Look Solid GREG PICKEL: Considering position coach Terry Smith's track record, it feels a little bit silly to suggest that there should be a level of concern about the Penn State cornerbacks room. And yet, there's no denying that the Nittany Lions are in the midst of a rebuilding project, with Kalen King, Johnny Dixon and Daequan Hardy all NFL-bound. The good news for PSU is that the baton appears to have been passed seamlessly this spring. Despite some hiccups in the Peach Bowl, junior Cam Miller is ready to lead the group as the oldest returning player at the position group, and sophomores Zion Tracy and Elliot Washington II appear prepared for bigger roles. They'll have to earn those roles though, because Penn State did well in the transfer portal. Sophomore A.J. Harris and redshirt senior Jalen Kimber both signed with Georgia initially. Harris spent his freshman season with the Bulldogs, while Kimber started out at Georgia before playing the past two sea- sons at Florida. With that SEC experience under their belts, both expect to see substantial action for the Nittany Lions this fall. The competi- tion between newcomers and returnees has resulted in the biggest strides of any Penn State position group this spring. "It's been amazing," Harris said. "I feel like once you bring some new faces on campus, it just naturally pushes that competitive nature within the room. Everybody is constantly pushing each other to do extra work — just making sure that we're all ready for Satur- days. "We understand that we're a question mark, that people wonder how the young corners are going to do on Saturdays. The only thing we can worry about is the little details. Don't feed into the outside talking. Just work." The only part of Harris' comment that any- one could dispute is the part in which he char- acterizes the cornerbacks as a question mark. Are they relatively unproven on the field? Yes. Will the cornerbacks who play make that ir- relevant by the time the West Virginia game arrives in late August? Absolutely. The Defensive End Corps Has Reloaded For 2024 RYAN SNYDER: The Nittany Lions have fielded their share of great edge rushers in recent years. They'll do so again this coming fall. It's not surprising that Penn State has faced some skepticism about its ability to put the kind of heat on opposing passers that it did last year when it led the FBS with 49 sacks. The Lions lost two excellent players in Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac, both of whom are likely to be selected in the first two rounds of the upcoming NFL Draft. With Robinson and Isaac departing, it's only natural to expect some regression. However, when you have a player as tal- ented as junior Dani Dennis-Sutton, and then you move arguably your best overall athlete on the team, junior Abdul Carter, from linebacker to defensive end, expecta- tions should still be high. Admittedly, Carter's move will be a big change, regardless of how athletic he may be. But head coach James Franklin made it clear recently that he's very happy with how Carter has acclimated to his new position. "The transition has probably gone better and faster than I thought it would," Franklin said. "It's a different world up there [at de- fensive end]. It's a major difference, and he's really transitioned very, very well." Because of his move, Carter will undoubt- edly attract the most attention when PSU opens its season in August. But when it's all said and done, don't be surprised if Dennis- Sutton is the one who shines the most this fall. "We need him to take a step up this year," Franklin said, "and from everything we've seen so far, I think he will." Something else to consider is that it's not just the projected starters who are elevating Penn State's outlook at defensive end. Se- niors Amin Vanover and Smith Vilbert also earned praise from Franklin during spring drills, and sophomore Jameial Lyons flashed outstanding potential during his debut sea- son last fall. Despite losing two excellent players to the NFL, Penn State should feel good about where it stands at the defensive end spots coming out of spring practice. Point – Counterpoint Coming up on his third season with the Nittany Lions, Cam Miller will be the longest-tenured player in the Penn State cornerbacks room this fall. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL Dani Dennis-Sutton had 3.5 sacks during his sopho- more season, when he served as a backup on a defense that sacked opposing quarterbacks an FBS- high 49 times. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL Which Position Group Made The Biggest Strides During Spring Practice?