Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1540433
1 2 N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M T wo Penn State freshmen officially burned their red- shirts during the season's first six games. Cornerback Daryus Dixson and defensive end Chaz Coleman both played in their fifth game of the season on Oct. 4 when the Nittany Li- ons fell to UCLA, 42-37. The decision to forgo red- shirts was not a surprise. Both players had been trending in that direction since the mid- dle of preseason camp. Dixson and Coleman have contributed on defense and special teams, which is one of the coaching staff's key tenets when it comes to using a first-year player's ini- tial season of eligibility. Coleman played 38 snaps against the Bruins. He was the team's best defender as rated by Pro Football Focus, earning a grade of 71.7. The for- mer four-star prospect from Warren, Ohio, finished with a single tackle, which resulted in a loss. A month ear- lier against Florida International, he made one of the season's most exciting plays when he jarred the ball loose from Florida International quarterback Joe Pesansky and returned it 39 yards to set up a PSU touchdown. As for Dixson, he lined up for 13 snaps at cornerback against the Bruins, per PFF. However, he did not register any counting stats. While Dixson and Coleman were the only two members of the 2025 class to see action at UCLA, they were not the only freshmen who made the trip to Los Angeles. The following players also made their first travel roster at Penn State: linebackers LaVar Arrington II, Alex Tatsch and Cam Smith, defensive end Yvan Kemajou, cornerback Jahmir Joseph, offensive lineman Owen Al- iciene and wide receiver Koby Howard. The coaching staff has been juggling some competing imperatives while try- ing to decide which freshmen should see the field this fall. The loss of junior Tony Rojas to a season-ending injury created depth issues at linebacker. Be- fore he was let go, James Franklin said that Smith and Tatsch might have to be part of the solution. In addition, the Lions are looking for more productivity out of their receiver corps and could potentially turn to Howard, who im- pressed in the offseason. The problem for the Nittany Lions is that with the Big Ten campaign under- way, there are going to be fewer oppor- tunities to get young players on the field in low-stakes, fourth- quarter situations. "We're in a position right now where we don't have plays and drives to just throw some- body out there and see how it goes," the former head coach said. "We've got to get our best guys on the field. Every rep is like gold. Every drive is like gold, and we've got to maximize that. If we feel like guys give us a bet- ter chance based on what we see in practice, then, yeah, we would do that. But if not, we're not in a position right now to just put guys out there to see how they do. That's what practice is for." The linebacker spots pose particular difficulties because players are having to adapt to the scheme that first-year defensive co- ordinator Jim Knowles installed in the offseason. "We've got a new defensive system," Franklin said. "It's a little bit more com- plex than we've used in the past. … If you're making mistakes at linebacker and can't run the defense, then it's hard to execute. It's no different than at the quarterback position, so those positions are a little bit more magnified. But ob- viously it's going to be important for us moving forward as well." ■ Two Defensive Freshmen Will Forgo Redshirts In 2025 G R E G P I C K E L | G R E G . P I C K E L @ O N 3 . C O M CLASS OF 2025 TRACKER* SIX GAMES DE Chaz Coleman CB Daryus Dixson FOUR GAMES DE Yvan Kemajou THREE GAMES CB Jahmir Joseph TWO GAMES DT Randy Adirika WR Koby Howard ONE GAME OL Owen Aliciene DE Cortez Harris K Matthew Parker LB Cam Smith LB Alex Tatsch CB Xxavier Thomas NO GAMES LB LaVar Arrington II DE Dayshaun Burnett RB Jabree Coleman WR Jeff Exinor Jr. OL Malachi Goodman RB Tikey Hayes TE Matt Henderson DE Daniel Jennings CB Josh Johnson TE Brian Kortovich QB Bekkem Kritza OL Brady O'Hara TE Andrew Olesh WR Matthew Outten WR Lyrick Samuel CB Braz Thomas OL Michael Troutman III * Through six games Chaz Coleman had a strip sack against Florida International to set up Penn State's final touchdown of the afternoon. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS