Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1543434
M A R C H 2 0 2 6 4 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / T R A N S F E R S / / / / / / / T he Penn State defense went through a metamorphosis in January, emerging from the transfer window with an entirely new personality. The Nittany Lions brought in 17 defensive players, including nine from Iowa State. Under the direction of a new coaching staff, including former UCLA and USC coordinator D'Anton Lynn, those players figure to change Penn State's defensive personality in significant ways. Here's a look at how head coach Matt Campbell and his staff graded out on this side of the ball. Defensive End Un l e s s yo u l i s t t h e 6 - fo o t -5, 290-pound redshirt sophomore Alijah Carnell as an end, the Lions added only two edge rushers via the transfer portal this offseason. And one of those play- ers — redshirt senior Ike Ezeogu — is a "tweener" prospect who will likely focus on run defense rather than pass rushing. The only pure defensive end in PSU's portal haul was sophomore Alexan- der McPherson, formerly of Colorado. I like McPherson's long-term poten- tial in this defensive scheme, but that assessment relies on projection and a weight-room blow-up this offseason. The Lions needed to bring in a vet- eran pass-rushing player from the por- tal to complete and deepen this room enough to feel confident it will survive a long season next fall. That option never materialized. Grade: C- Defensive Tackle In some defensive systems, the task of stopping the run largely falls on the tackles, freeing up other positions to be more flexible in their construction. Based on the size and skill sets of Penn State's five defensive tackle acquisi- tions, that seems to be the plan here. Even 290-pound redshirt sophomore Armstrong Nnodim, formerly of Okla- homa State, has a nose tackle skill set. If that's the plan for the defensive tack- les, Campbell and his defensive staff did very well. None of these players are superstars in their own right, but together, they form a solid core, built on veterans at the top. Grade: B+ Linebacker The one position group at which Penn State's new staff felt comfort- able bringing in Iowa State defensive players en masse was linebacker. Three season didn't count against anyone's eligibility due to the pandemic. Taupaki then missed 10 games in 2022, for which he received a waiver. That's how he's eligible to suit up for PSU in 2026. For most of his college career, Taupaki was an offensive line- man, playing left guard. He totaled 115 snaps in a reserve role when he returned from an injury, then moved to the defensive side of the ball in 2024, finishing with 23 tackles in 12 games, including 1 for loss and a sack. Taupaki again played in all 12 games last year, getting his first start against Indiana in October. He totaled 15 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack and 1 fumble recovery. Dallas Vakalahi | DT Jr. | 6-2 | 318 Utah | West Valley, Utah On3 Transfer Portal Ranking:HHH, No. 111 DL Rivals Industry Ranking (2022): HHH, No. 135 DL Although he signed with Utah in 2022, Vakalahi still has two years of eligibility remaining. That's because he went on a Mormon mission coming out of West High and didn't start his playing career with the Utes until 2024. Vakalahi played in nine games with three starts in his de- but season, finishing with 16 tackles to rank first among the Utes' true freshmen. He also made nine game appearances as a sophomore, earning starts against UCLA and West Virginia. He finished the campaign with 11 tackles and entered the por- tal in January, eventually landing at Penn State. Keanu Williams | DT R-Sr. | 6-5 | 320 UCLA | Clovis, Calif. On3 Transfer Portal Ranking: HHH, No. 92 DL Rivals Industry Ranking (2021): HHH, No. 36 DL Like his former UCLA teammate Taupaki, Williams is a California native who has headed far from home to finish his college career. The two former Bruins played for defensive line coach Ikaika Malloe during their time in Los Angeles and decided to follow him east when he was hired by Campbell. Williams started out his college career at Oregon and saw action in 20 games during his three years in Eugene, the first of which was a redshirt season. He transferred to UCLA in 2023 and made 10 starts in his debut season with the Bruins. Williams played in only two games in 2024 due to an injury but bounced back last fall, making 11 starts and totaling a career- high 39 tackles. ■ Nate Bauer and Sean Fitz contributed to this report. PORTAL GRADES DEFENSE Nittany Lions make targeted additions throughout their lineup T H O M A S F R A N K C A R R | T F R A N K . C A R R @ O N 3 . C O M