Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1528325
N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 4 31 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M receivers in and then get the ball out quicker than they'd like to, to be able to have enough routes." The back half of the schedule was set to begin at Camp Randall Stadium on Oct. 26 against a Wisconsin team ranked 14th in fewest sacks allowed, followed by an Ohio State team on Nov. 2 that was tied for 10th in the category. The Bad- gers and Buckeyes also both boast top- 40 rushing offenses. Grade: A Linebackers The dynamic at this position group has changed significantly since the end of the 2023 season. With Carter having moved to the defensive line, redshirt sophomore Keon Wylie injured in the spring, and redshirt freshman Kaveion Keys leaving the program in the summer, Penn State is playing without three expected con- tributors. Throw in injuries to redshirt junior Dominic DeLuca and redshirt freshman Ta'Mere Robinson during the season's first handful of games, and the Nittany Lions have been left to rely heavily on their starting duo of redshirt junior Kobe King in the middle and sophomore Tony Rojas at the Will spot. Rojas was lead- ing the unit with a season-high 257 snaps through six games, followed by King's 216 before a severe drop-off to DeLuca (92), senior Tyler Elsdon (91) and Robinson (48). On a limited basis, the Nittany Lions have started turning to younger players and intend to continue doing so in the second half of the regular season. The staff moved redshirt freshman DaKaari Nelson from safety to linebacker at the season's start, and that gamble has paid dividends in the form of 50 snaps taken in three games. The Lions also got true freshman Anthony Speca on the field for one game appearance. "We've got to get some younger guys to step up and elevate their play to create the depth that … we know we will need to have moving forward into the second half of the regular season and into the postseason," Allen said. "I feel like we've performed well as a group, but we need more depth. We need more guys jumping up, more guys making plays, more guys that we can rotate in there who are going to be able to play at a high level and not have any change in that. That's the chal- lenge for us, and that's definitely the focus right now." After suffering an unspecified injury against Bowling Green in Week 2, Rojas has not matched the level of performance he showed as a true freshman. But, with King playing the best football of his ca- reer, the pairing has been a steadying influence for a Penn State defense that needs as much stability as it can attain. Grade: B Secondary If the linebackers have been success- fully improvising, the secondary has been doing the same at an exponential level. The absence of junior safety Kevin Winston Jr., who went down with an un- specified, long-term injury following the Bowling Green game on Sept. 7, has made that a necessity. Winston played nearly every defen- sive snap in the opener at West Virginia. Without him, the secondary's outlook has shifted from thriving to surviving. Lack- ing a reliable fourth safety to move up — a heavily delayed ramification of King Mack's transfer to Alabama in the spring — Allen and safeties coach Anthony Poin- dexter have had to abandon much of what they planned on doing with their person- nel coming into the season. Senior Jaylen Reed has moved out of his "Lion" role back to strong safety, while redshirt junior Zakee Wheatley has switched from strong safety to free safety. True freshman Dejuan Lane has had to grow up in a hurry. At cornerback, sophomore A.J. Harris has been one of the defense's bright spots, and the combination of redshirt senior Jalen Kimber, junior Cam Miller, soph- omores Elliot Washington II and Zion Tracy, and redshirt sophomore Audavion Collins has demonstrated the group's depth and consistency. Only Harris and Washington had nabbed interceptions prior to the Wis- consin game, meaning room exists to transform from stout into opportunistic as a unit. But, given the circumstances and challenges, the pros have far out- weighed the cons so far. Grade: B+ Senior Jaylen Reed has moved out of his "Lion" role back to strong safety this year. He went into the Wisconsin game with a team-high 39 tackles, including 3 for loss and 1.5 sacks. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL