Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1524108
6 8 A U G U S T 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 / / / / / / / 2 0 2 4 F O O T B A L L P R E V I E W / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / PRESEASON ANALYSIS ★★★★★ National Title; ★★★★ Top 10; ★★★ Top 25; ★★ Too Unproven; ★ Major Concern STARTERS ★★★ Having played in all 26 games over the past two seasons and started 11, redshirt junior Kobe King should be a stalwart in the middle. He was an hon- orable mention All-Big Ten choice last season after ranking second on the team in tackles with 59. The Lions don't have anywhere near as much experience at the Will position, but sophomore Tony Rojas appears ready to make a big impact. Rojas showed he was a playmaker as a true fresh- man, with 3.5 tackles for loss, an interception and a fumble recovery in limited duty. Reports coming out of spring practice were unfailingly positive, so the Lions should be in good shape here. The Sam position also will be in experienced hands, with redshirt junior Dominic DeLuca atop the depth chart. DeLuca started out as a walk-on but has played in 26 games the past two years and was a special teams captain last fall. It also bears mentioning that in new coordina- tor Tom Allen's scheme, it's likely that Penn State will rely heavily on a nickel package featuring an extra defensive back dubbed the "Lion." On many occasions this fall, there will only be two lineback- ers on the field. EXPERIENCE ★★★ Between them, King, DeLuca and senior Tyler Els- don have played in 98 games and made 24 starts. Two of those veteran players — King and Elsdon — will likely see the majority of the snaps at the Mike position, giving the Nittany Lions ample experience at the very spot on the defense where experience matters most. That's the good news. The bad news is that the drop-off is steep after that trio. The other seven scholarship linebackers on Penn State's roster have combined to play in 40 games and have no starts between them. Four of those seven will hold freshman eligibility in 2024. DEPTH ★★ Elsdon is easily the most experienced of the backup linebackers. He was the starter at the Mike position in 2022, taking the field with the first team in all 13 games that year before giving way to King last fall. In 2023, he saw 177 defensive snaps to King's 393. The Lions suffered a blow of unknown severity in spring practice when redshirt sophomore Keon Wylie was injured. It is not yet known whether he will be available for any portion of the fall season. Even with Wylie's status unclear, there is some good young talent here, but not much experience. OVERALL GRADE ★★★ Abdul Carter's move to defensive end from out- side linebacker, where he starred in his first two seasons, coupled with the graduation of Curtis Jacobs, might have left this position group looking a little thin. However, those concerns could be allevi- ated by an increased reliance on a 4-2-5 scheme. The "Husky" position — described by Allen as "an athletic-type safety, a big corner" — was a hallmark of his defenses at Indiana, and now PSU is set to de- ploy its own version with the advent of the Lion. With the Big Ten set to add four West Coast schools that have feasted on opposing defenses by stretching the field in all directions, it only makes sense for Penn State to build around players who can run to the ball and tackle in space. This year's linebacker corps should allow them to maintain a tough presence in the middle of their defense while deploying additional manpower in the secondary as needed. BY THE NUMBERS 11 Starts in 2023, out of a possible 39, by line- backers who return this fall. Kobe King started 11 of 13 games at middle linebacker, the two excep- tions being the Massachusetts and Ohio State games in which PSU opened in a nickel defense. 44 Pounds added by Tony Rojas since he signed with Penn State in December 2022. Rojas was listed at 195 pounds by Penn State on signing day for the 2023 recruiting class. He was up to 225 by the start of his freshman season, and he is listed at 239 on the roster that Penn State released earlier this summer. 87.1 Dominic DeLu- ca's overall de- fensive grade last year from Pro Football Focus. DeLuca was the Lions' top-rated linebacker and third-rated defensive player, per PFF, trailing only defensive end Chop Robinson (90.9) and safety Kevin Winston Jr. (89.2). Dominic DeLuca had a pair of interceptions last season, including a third-quarter pick against Delaware that he returned 26 yards for a touchdown. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL