Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1537537
A U G U S T 2 0 2 5 7 7 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / D E F E N S I V E B A C K S / / / / / / / Daryus Dixson — who are getting ready for their first preseason camp. Redshirt freshman Kenny Woseley Jr. is another young player who flashed last season and is on the right trajectory to contribute. Elliot Washington II and Zion Tracy are both juniors, like Harris. The former has been cited as a rising star since win- ter workouts, and the latter is being slept on, some feel, after an injury-plagued spring. Collins, the redshirt junior, is hoping to have his best season yet as he prepares for his third year with the Nit- tany Lions after transferring from Mis- sissippi State. All of those players are aware that new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles plans to employ a five-man secondary in most situations. The extra defensive back won't always be a corner, but the goal is to be ready to do whatever might be needed from play to play and series to series. That's the way the group has approached its training and preparation this offseason. "I feel like our whole secondary has the potential to be the best in the coun- try," Harris said. To prove it, he and his teammates will have to meet their goals, both individ- ually and as a team. The step-by-step approach to improvement has been in- stilled in the defensive backs by Smith, and it's become a mantra for Harris. He knows that he has to stay focused on the here-and-now if he's going to achieve his ultimate goals in the sport. If all goes well this fall, he'll be able to make his case as a potential first-round NFL Draft pick, and he'll have Smith to thank for the epiphany that unlocked his potential. "I have a lot of love for the Penn State staff and how they've taken me under their wing and showed me nothing but unconditional love and just poured into me as a player on and off the field," Har- ris said. "Terry has helped me a lot, men- tally, physically, developmentally. I'm not sure if I would be in the position I am without someone like Terry and Coach [James] Franklin always in my corner." ■ 2024 vs. 2025: Stock Up Or Down? Penn State lost two players from last year's starting four, with safety Jaylen Reed taken in the sixth round of the NFL Draft by Houston and cornerback Jalen Kimber join- ing him as a free agent signee by Tennessee. Those two combined with cornerback A.J. Harris and safety Zakee Wheatley to make 62 of a possible 64 starts last year, and the Nittany Lions finished seventh in the Big Ten in pass defense, allowing 192.9 yards per game. PSU's 20 interceptions led the confer- ence, and 12 were by defensive backs. Harris, a junior, and Wheatley, a redshirt senior, are back this fall, giving Penn State some continuity in the secondary. The other projected starters — junior Elliot Washing- ton II at cornerback, sophomore Dejuan Lane at boundary safety and either King Mack or fellow junior Zion Tracy at nickel — give the Lions some good options on the back end. The secondary is Penn State's strongest position group on defense, making this stock a buy. X-Factor Jim Knowles will be Penn State's third defensive coordinator in as many seasons, with Manny Diaz leaving for Duke two years ago and his successor, Tom Allen, heading to Clemson after just one season in State College. Knowles' tactical proficiency is well known, and he figures to enjoy great success with the Nittany Li- ons, just as he did at Oklahoma State and Ohio State. Still, looking at the immediate future, one can't help but wonder how players will adapt to another change in leadership, especially given that this one looks to involve some significant changes to the deployment of the safeties. The 4-2-5 defense is hardly exotic, but Knowles has made his own tweaks and has his preferences. There figures to be a learning curve as players get comfortable with the schematic changes he's introduced. Freshman Outlook Penn State will use five defensive backs in its base defense this year, and of the 16 scholarship DBs on the roster, eight will have freshman eligibility. The math says some of those young players are going to have to make an impact on the field. There's a good chance that two of the freshmen will be on the two-deep this fall. Safety Vaboue Toure saw action in five games last year, totaling 6 tackles and a pass breakup while maintaining his freshman eligibility in 2025. He's looking like a good bet to back up one of his 2024 classmates, sophomore Dejuan Lane, at the bound- ary safety spot. The other freshman who could make the two-deep is Daryus Dix- son, a January enrollee who reportedly impressed in spring practice. The Lions have three solid cornerbacks in Harris, Washington and redshirt junior Audavion Collins, but they need a fourth to round out their rotation. Dixson, a four-star prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking, could be the choice. Safety Dejuan Lane played in all 16 games as a true freshman last season, finishing with 14 tackles and an intercep- tion that he returned 54 yards in PSU's win over Maryland. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS