Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1529598
D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 4 2 7 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M expected to be 100 percent at Minnesota on Nov. 23. Franklin was glad to have him back in his customary role against the Boilermak- ers, noting that having Dennis-Sutton in action helps Carter make plays and bol- sters an edge-rushing rotation that also includes seniors Amin Vanover and Smith Vilbert. "Abdul is a very, very disruptive player," Franklin said. "I also think when it's just Abdul on the field, and not Dani [it's harder to create pressure]. I think Amin and Smith are doing really good things, too, but it's different when we've got all four of those guys rotating in." Carter tops the Nittany Lion defense with an 89.6 overall defensive grade from Pro Football Focus and is in contention for the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year award. Through 10 games, he was leading the conference with 17.5 tack- les for loss and was tied for third with 8 sacks. On the interior, the Lions have been performing well even if the defensive tackles haven't posted eye-catching numbers. Junior Zane Durant is the pic- ture-perfect example of that tendency. He had 26 tackles through 10 games but has been playing at an extremely high level, ranking fifth on the team with an overall defensive grade of 79.4 from PFF and helping the Lions hold opponents to just 98.6 rushing yards per game, fifth- best in the FBS. It should also be noted that Penn State has not suffered any decline in productiv- ity since super senior Hakeem Beamon left the team for undisclosed reasons. Redshirt senior Alonzo Ford Jr. has taken on a bigger role in his absence. Linebacker Redshirt junior Kobe King continues to be the heart and soul of the Penn State defense. He is a smart communicator from his middle linebacker position and is rarely out of position. Prior to the Min- nesota game, he was third on the team with 50 tackles, including 6 for loss, and had PSU's second-best PFF defensive grade at 86.4. Sophomore outside linebacker Tony Rojas shows his youth at times, but he's also made the kind of athletic plays that illustrate why Penn State is so excited about his future. Missed tackles have marred his season, but he's playing well as a first-year starter otherwise. "You're probably not going to find anyone who's more serious about foot- ball than Tony and a harsher critic than Tony," Penn State analyst Dan Connor said in early November. "A lot of the coaching with him is, 'Hey, have fun.' "He's fast, incredibly smart, and works very hard. Like any young player, there are going to be ups and downs. You ap- proach everything in a systematic way. He's done some incredible stuff for us, and we've asked a ton out of him. He has the most snaps in the room, and he's done a really good job being able to han- dle the physical and mental workload. He's an incredibly focused guy. I've been really pleased with his progress." Rojas was pressed into more action with redshirt junior Dominic DeLuca spending part of October and Novem- ber in a cast and then a soft brace on his right hand. That has since been removed, allowing him to play on three special teams units in addition to his work at linebacker. Secondary The defensive backfield continues to thrive. Sophomore A.J. Harris and red- shirt senior Jalen Kimber have become bona fide Big Ten starters after transfer- ring in this offseason. They are the team's only cornerbacks with more than 400 snaps on the season. Sophomore Elliot Washington II and junior Cam Miller play plenty, too, but are the clear backups. Sophomore Zion Tracy is playing well in the "Lion" hybrid safety role, which is important because senior Jaylen Reed cannot play it as much with Winston out of action. Speaking of Reed, he and red- shirt junior Zakee Wheatley have been outstanding on the back end. They lead the defense in total snaps with 518 and 508, respectively, but they never look tired, rarely blow coverages, and are help- ful in the run game. Penn State would like to get more snaps for freshman safety Dejuan Lane and slide Reed down into the box more often, but it isn't an urgent need given how Tracy has been playing. Overall, it's fair to wonder if this group is better than the one from a year ago de- spite losing two players — cornerback Kalen King and nickel Daequan Hardy — to the NFL Draft. ■ Middle linebacker Kobe King has the Nittany Lions' second-highest overall defensive grade from Pro Football Focus at 86.4 through 10 games. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS