Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1524108
A U G U S T 2 0 2 4 6 9 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / L I N E B A C K E R S / / / / / / / PERSONNEL POSITION COACH Tom Allen: Penn State was well-acquainted with Allen long before he joined James Frank- lin's coaching staff in December. He served as head coach at Indiana for seven seasons after arriving in Bloomington as defensive coordina- tor in 2016. Allen's Hoosiers frequently gave PSU trouble. They pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the shortened 2020 season, stun- ning the Lions, 36-35 in overtime, on opening day and setting the stage for a 6-2 season that earned Allen National Coach of the Year honors from the American Football Coaches Association. Indiana nearly pulled off another upset last November, tying the score late in the fourth quarter at Beaver Stadium before falling, 33-24. During his tenure with the Hoosiers, Allen coached four defensive All-Americans (cor- nerback Tiawan Mullen and linebackers Aaron Casey, Tegray Scales and Micah McFadden), as well as 35 All-Big Ten honorees. He oversaw the nation's biggest defensive turnaround when he took over as coordinator in 2016. Under Allen's guidance, the Hoosiers allowed 129.4 fewer yards and 10.4 fewer points per game than they had during the 2015 season. A native of New Castle, Ind., and a 1991 graduate of Maranatha Baptist, Allen served as defensive coordinator at South Florida in 2015 and was the linebackers coach and special teams coordinator at Ole Miss from 2012-14. RETURNING SCHOLARSHIP PLAYERS DOMINIC DELUCA R-Jr. | 6-1 | 228 • In 13 games last season, amassed 29 tackles, including 4.5 for loss and 1 sack, 2 forced fumbles, 2 interceptions, 3 pass breakups and a blocked punt. • Was named winner last year of the John Bruno Award, which goes to Penn State's outstanding special teams player. • Was put on scholarship following a redshirt freshman season in which he saw action in all 13 games, finishing with 29 tackles including 2 for loss, a sack and a blocked punt. • Was named Developmental Squad Defen- sive Player of the Year as a true freshman in 2021 while also playing on special teams in three games. TYLER ELSDON Sr. | 6-2 | 232 • Saw action in all 13 games on defense and special teams, finishing the season with 21 tackles, including 1 for loss, a fumble recov- ery and 2 pass breakups. • Recovered a muffed punt in the third quar- ter of Penn State's 20-12 loss at Ohio State on Oct. 21. • Started 13 games at middle linebacker in 2022, finishing with 44 tackles, including 3 for loss and a sack. • Totaled 12 tackles in 12 games during the 2021 season, including a 6-tackle perfor- mance in Penn State's victory over Auburn. KAVEION KEYS R-Fr. | 6-2 | 230 • Saw action in two games last year, preserv- ing his freshman eligibility. • Made his first career tackle in Penn State's 63-7 win over Delaware on Sept. 9. • Shared the developmental squad's defen- sive and special teams player of the year honors. • Was a first-team all-region linebacker as a junior and senior and a Virginia Class 4A all- state selection as a junior at Varina High. • Made 70 tackles and had 11 sacks and 9 tackles for loss as a senior and was a two- time team captain. KOBE KING R-Jr. | 6-1 | 251 • Started 11 of 13 games for Penn State last fall, finishing with 59 tackles (39 solo), in- cluding 6 for loss and 1.5 sacks, while add- ing a fumble recovery against Illinois. • Totaled a career-high 10 tackles in Penn State's 27-6 win over Rutgers on Nov. 18. • Received honorable mention All-Big Ten honors from the coaches and media. • Made 41 tackles, including 4 for loss, in 13 games during the 2022 season, and returned a fumble for a touchdown against Rutgers. • Played in four games as a true freshman in 2021. TYRECE MILLS R-Sr. | 6-1 | 209 • Appeared in six games last season and made 2 tackles, both in Penn State's 63-0 victory over Massachusetts on Oct. 14. • Redshirted in 2022 after transferring from Lackawanna College. • Totaled 45 tackles, including 5.5 for loss, 5 interceptions and 5 pass breakups in nine games at Lackawanna in 2020 and '21. • Was a four-year letterman at Northeast High in Philadelphia, finishing with 14 inter- ceptions during his last two seasons. TA'MERE ROBINSON R-Fr. | 6-3 | 230 • Played in three games during his first year at Penn State, preserving his freshman eligibility. • Made 2 tackles against Massachusetts. • Missed his senior season at Brashear High in Pittsburgh due to a knee injury. • Made more than 100 tackles during his first three high school seasons. TONY ROJAS So. | 6-2 | 239 • Appeared in 13 games as a true freshman, playing both defense and special teams and finishing with 21 tackles, including 3.5 for loss, a forced fumble and an interception. • Was the Virginia Gatorade High School Football Player of the Year in 2022. • Recorded 72 tackles, including 14 for loss and 13 sacks, 5 forced fumbles and 4 pass breakups as a senior at Fairfax (Va.) High. KEON WYLIE R.-So. | 6-2 | 213 • Availability for the 2024 season is in ques- tion due to an injury suffered in spring practice. • Played in all 13 games on defense and spe- cial teams as a redshirt freshman. • Totaled 17 tackles, with 5 tackles for loss and 3 sacks. • Was Penn State's Developmental Squad De- fensive Player of the Year in 2022. • Preserved his freshman eligibility by playing in only three games in 2022. NEWCOMERS KARI JACKSON Fr. | 6-1 | 246 • Missed nearly his entire senior season at West Bloomfield (Mich.) High after suffer- ing a shoulder injury on opening night. • Totaled 103 tackles, including 26 for loss and 3 sacks, as a junior. • Received a three-star rating and was the No. 54 linebacker and No. 16 Michigan prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking. ANTHONY SPECA Fr. | 6-1 | 230 • Holds the career record at Pittsburgh Cen- tral Catholic with 326 tackles. • Finished with 94 tackles as a senior, includ- ing 17 for loss and 5 sacks. • Received a three-star rating and was the No. 46 linebacker nationally and No. 9 Pennsylvania prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking.