Penn State Sports Magazine
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M A R C H 2 0 2 5 2 1 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M B efore new Penn State defensive co- ordinator Jim Knowles gave his first several answers during his introductory press conference on Feb. 4, he paused. The first time, it was just for a second or two. The next time, it was nearly four seconds. Later, he waited a thoughtful moment before answering a question about what it meant to be a "good Philly guy" who was coming home after over- seeing defenses at Duke, Oklahoma State and Ohio State. While you can't learn everything there is to know about an individual in a press conference, you can pick up on cues. Knowles came off as a thoughtful, methodical person who, while preaching passion for the game, displays a cool and controlled demeanor in off-field set- tings. Knowles spoke directly about that internal conflict — passion versus com- posure — later in the press conference when asked about where he'll be coach- ing while at Penn State. "I go back and forth, but most recently I spent most of my time in the press box," Knowles said. "That allows me to get the best vision on the action. And with the iPads now and the communication directly to the players in the helmet, I can still be very connected. "There's a lot more time to think up there," he added. "The best place to be, in order to think and remain calm and try to stay a couple plays ahead in a series, is in the press box." In many ways, football is about pattern recognition. If you watch a team long enough, you get a sense of what it's like, what it wants to accomplish, and how it goes about doing what it aims to do. The more you know about football, the better and more deeply you will understand this situation. When I turned on the film of Ohio State's defense, I found myself looking for the patterns that would offer clues to Knowles' philosophical approach to the game. He presents an interesting prob- lem, though: There isn't a pattern. And that's the point. This approach is most evident in his play-calling. For example, here are the coverage splits from Ohio State last sea- son, broken down by coverage family: Cover 1: 24.6 percent Cover 2: 18.1 percent Cover 3: 19.2 percent Cover 4: 17.3 percent Cover 6: 5.8 percent Cover 0: 4.5 percent That is one of the most even splits of coverage preference I've ever seen. The same holds true for Knowles' approach to blitzing, defensive line movement, and even fronts. Again, that's the plan. As Knowles noted, "I want to be able to do it all." Will Penn State defenders be able to handle it all? It can be overwhelming when you fold in Knowles' approach to safety rotation, his unorthodox plan for filling gaps in the run game, and the pos- sible introduction of NFL-level concepts like zone matching, inverting coverage, passing off, and picking up in zones be- yond the standard spot dropping. Knowles knows this and said he's working to figure out that process with his new team. "We're going to go at the pace of the players," he said. "I always work with the assistants closely on that: 'Hey, you tell me if I start to put in too much and we need to dial back.' … We've got to go at the pace of the players — not at my pace — because I'm not the one making the plays out there." Of course, Knowles didn't tip his hand on too many topics just one week into his new job. When asked if the team will use a hybrid edge rusher, the so- called "Jack" position, he pushed the topic into the future once he's gotten to know the strengths and weaknesses of his roster. Knowles did acknowledge that he would work to integrate Penn State's established defensive philosophies into his football vision. He sees a culture of success and wants to mesh with it, not redefine it. He wants to be the missing ingredient to a champion- ship run. "I see it as being so close, and I think I can help," Knowles said. "I think I can be of service. Once you get past maybe being young and think you're going to be the head coach of the Packers, as you move forward, you start thinking, how can I be of service to a great team and be part of a great team? And this is the place. Everything here is so close to winning it all." ■ O P I N I O N THOMAS FRANK CARR T F R A N K .C A R R @ O N 3 .C O M Jim Knowles' Defense Will Be Predictably Unpredictable After helping Ohio State claim the 2024 national championship, Knowles said he believes Penn State is capable of doing likewise. The Nittany Lions, he said, are "so close to winning it all." PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL UPON FURTHER REVIEW