Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1544053
A P R I L 2 0 2 6 3 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M terms of body type. An Achilles injury in early 2024 ended his season and slowed his performance in 2025. This will be his year to prove he's an above-average de- fensive tackle capable of dominating in the middle. Armstrong Nnodim: A former Oklahoma State nose tackle, Nnodim is a human brick wall who was listed at 319 pounds on Penn State's spring ros- ter — nearly 30 pounds above his previ- ous weight. Even at 290, he dominated the A-gaps for the Cowboys in 2025. De- spite having somewhat short arms, his leverage, strength and solid fundamentals make him a strong candidate to work into the rotation this fall. Alijah Carnell: With three years of eligibility remaining, Carnell could de- velop into a Williams-like player with the frame to be a true nose tackle. As an added bonus, he's very athletic. His movement skills made him a useful defensive end as a redshirt freshman at Iowa State. Dallas Vakalahi: A Utah transfer, Vakalahi has junior eligibility but is two years older than his class due to a Mor- mon mission after high school. He has a powerful build but will need to improve his pad level to see more consistent results on the field. De'Andre Cook: Cook was always go- ing to be a project player. He's a decent athlete, but among the young defensive tackles who were retained, he profiles as a pure run-stuffer. 3-TECHNIQUE Siale Taupaki R-Sr.+ 6-2 337 Ty Blanding R-Jr. 6-1 296 Liam Andrews R-So. 6-4 290 Caleb Brewer R-So. 6-4 293 SCOUTING REPORT Siale Taupaki: Another UCLA trans- fer, Taupaki is getting set for his eighth season of college football, thanks to the COVID bonus year and medical waivers stemming from a lingering knee injury. He played well for the Bruins last year and has slightly more pass-rushing ability than Williams, although he's still very much a run-first defender. Ty Blanding: The most athletic and explosive defensive tackle on Penn State's roster, Blanding is up to about 300 pounds, which is impressive for a player who stands 6-foot-1. Given his athletic traits, Lynn may deploy him as a base de- fensive end in five-down fronts, where he would get one-on-one reps against tackles in certain situations. Liam Andrews: Andrews spent the bulk of his first two seasons getting healthy and acclimating to defensive tackle. For now, he's a depth player. Caleb Brewer: The new staff switched Brewer from offense to defense. It's a sensible move; the offensive line is well- stocked, and Brewer never fit comfortably on that side of the ball. But he's now start- ing over as a redshirt sophomore and will need time to make the transition. Defensive End EDGE RUSHER Yvan Kemajou So. 6-3 254 or Max Granville R-So. 6-3 251 LaVar Arrington II So. 6-3 216 or Dayshaun Burnett R-Fr. 6-3 233 SCOUTING REPORT Yvan Kemajou: If there's one player earning consensus rave reviews from the new Penn State staff for his work last year, it's Kemajou. He played meaningful snaps at a difficult position and took on run- defense responsibilities. Kemajou held up remarkably well for his age, especially in a system that frequently asked him to handle double-teams. There's genuine optimism about what he can become in Year 2. Max Granville: The staff prioritized Granville's retention even though he missed the 2025 season with an injury. He's a high-effort player whose perfor- mance against the run last spring belied his reputation as an undersized speed rusher. The new defensive system should present him with favorable matchups off the edge. LaVar Arrington II: Arrington has moved to defensive end after starting out at linebacker. He played the position in high school, so the switch makes sense. Arrington has the length, speed and in- stincts to develop as a pass rusher, but he needs to add weight. Dayshaun Burnett: Size is the main question in Burnett's profile. He's listed at 233 pounds. Can he reach 250? Or will Penn State try to emphasize his move- ment skills in a hybrid role? EDGE RUSHER Ike Ezeogu R-Sr. 6-5 275 or A. McPherson So. 6-6 245 Mason Robinson R-Jr. 6-3 257 Jackson Ford Fr. 6-5 252 SCOUTING REPORT Ike Ezeogu: You'd be hard-pressed to find a better run-first defensive end than Ezeogu, who spent most of his career at Iowa State as a three-technique defen- sive tackle before shedding weight to play outside. Questions about the fit are fair, but at minimum, he brings a heavy pair of hands on the outside to set the edge on early downs. Alexander McPherson: One of the staff's top targets when the portal opened, McPherson is a 6-foot-6 edge defender with long arms and a résumé that in- cludes a productive true freshman season at Colorado. He has experience slanting into the B gap and playing the run against guards, which earns him a spot on this side of the depth chart. Mason Robinson: Robinson enters his redshirt junior season with a lot to prove. Injuries have kept him out of ac- tion for significant stretches, but he could be a valuable veteran presence in a locker room with a lot of new faces. Jackson Ford: Penn State lists Ford at 6-5, 252 pounds, meaning he's grown a bit since signing in December. He plays hard and has excellent athleticism, but a meaningful contribution this season is unlikely. Linebacker MIKE Kooper Ebel Sr. 6-4 234 Cael Brezina Jr. 6-3 234 John Klosterman R-Sr. 5-11 229 SCOUTING REPORT Kooper Ebel: The new Penn State de- fense will be a big change for Ebel, a two- year starter at Iowa State. In the Cyclones' 3-3-5 alignment, the linebackers would sometimes serve as extra linemen, essen- tially filling in as three-technique defen-