Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1529598
D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 4 5 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M of Greater Latrobe (Pa.) High to the mix in the spring. Penn State will look at linebackers in the portal as well, but it's lower on the pecking order. It will be a tough sell with so many players slated to come back, regardless. The Impact: Tatsch was having a very good senior season before it was cut short in early October by shoulder sur- gery. That's not ideal for a linebacker, es- pecially since it was Tatsch's second time under the knife on the same shoulder. Given the timing of the surgery — just three months before enrollment — Tatsch's availability for the spring is very much in question. Even then, he'll need to be eased in. Defensive Back The Lions will be making moves at safety. Jaylen Reed is out of eligibility after this season, while current junior Kevin Winston Jr. hasn't said whether he intends to return after missing most of the 2024 campaign with an undis- closed injury. The Lions could move a cornerback to safety, most likely sopho- more Zion Tracy or junior Cam Miller. They could also explore their options in the portal. At cornerback, Jalen Kimber still has another year available, but it's unlikely the 23-year-old will use it in 2025. The Nittany Lions are set to add one player to each spot in the secondary this coming spring. Three-star California cornerback Daryus Dixson is slated to arrive in January, while three-star New Jersey safety Braswell Thomas plans to do the same. The Impact: Penn State's numbers at cornerback are good, and that posi- tion group could lend a helping hand to the safeties in 2025. That said, the Nittany Lions will still look at safe- ties in the portal this winter. Thomas missed all of his senior season after suf- fering a freak arm injury at Penn State's next-to-last camp of the summer in July. It was unfortunate for a prospect whose arrow was pointed up. At 6-2, 185 pounds, Thomas didn't look to be an early contributor. He's getting healthy now and should be good to go when he gets to campus in January. Dixson's status is interesting. He's going into a talented room that has a couple of guys in the class ahead of him who could play as redshirt freshmen in Kenny Woseley Jr. and Jon Mitchell. He's a heck of a prospect who has played a national schedule. Of all the freshmen, we're probably most curious about how he'll fit in athletically compared to his peers. There's not much reliable data out there, and the bar is high in that room. ■ Daryus Dixson of Mater Dei High in Santa Ana, Calif., will be looking to compete for playing time in a talented Penn State cornerbacks room. PHOTO COURTESY DARYUS DIXSON Four-star linebacker commit Alex Tatsch will enroll in the spring but is coming off shoulder surgery after being sidelined by an injury during his senior season at Greater Latrobe (Pa.) High. PHOTO COURTESY ALEX TATSCH