Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1544053
3 6 A P R I L 2 0 2 6 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M T hree different seasons, three differ- ent defensive iterations. New Penn State defensive coor- dinator D'Anton Lynn is difficult to pin down. While many coaches say they tailor their scheme to fit their person- nel, Lynn lived that philosophy during stops at UCLA and USC in his brief career as a college coordinator. As a re- sult, it has been challenging to project exactly what he plans to do with the Nittany Lions this fall. After speaking with defenders during a recent team media session a few weeks before the start of spring practice, he made it clear they were still working from an outline. "We've just started to introduce these X's and O's last week," senior linebacker Kooper Ebel said. "It's been awesome to really dive into that." Lynn is blending returning Penn State players with transfers from Iowa State and elsewhere to build something new — perhaps something that resembles his previous defenses, but not neces- sarily a copy. Early conversations offer clues about what the unit may look like. Ebel, junior Cael Brezina and redshirt senior Caleb Bacon have arrived at Penn State after excelling in Iowa State's 3-3-5 defense, a structure that differs significantly from what the Nittany Li- ons have traditionally run. The adjust- ment will be notable, but Ebel said he welcomes it. "I'm really excited to play with four- down linemen," he said. "The 3-3 was awesome. It was really good to us at Iowa State, but truthfully, it's not a very linebacker-centered defense. In the 3-3, at times you're really a glorified de- fensive lineman. You have to stick your nose in there and fill an A gap, fill a B gap at times. "But in this defense that Coach Lynn is presenting to us, I'm excited as a line- backer to play in it. You get to play off- ball. A lot of times, the D-line is eating up those double-teams, and you're free to really play football." The shift could also benefit red- shirt senior defensive end Ike Ezeogu, who has trimmed weight to become a full-time edge rusher. In Iowa State's three-man front, Ezeogu often aligned head-up or inside the offensive tackle, absorbing blocks. This season, he ex- pects a different role. "I'm just excited to play it, excited to really know that I'm going to be able to win with speed and probably not have to cover up somebody," he said. Although Penn State will feature a traditional four-man base, Lynn has consistently favored multiplicity — mixing odd and even fronts and incor- porating zone pressures. That approach demands versatility from edge players, who may slide inside or occasionally drop into coverage. At 6-foot-6, sophomore Alexander McPherson appears to fit that mold. However, the Colorado transfer is not dramatically altering his frame this spring. "I'm roughly the same weight. I feel like I've definitely gotten a lot stronger in the last six weeks," he said. "I'm go- ing to gain about three more pounds be- fore spring ball and be 250 going into it." McPherson is focused on incremental progress rather than long-term projec- tions. "I'm taking it one step at a time," he said. "I feel like 250 is a great weight for spring ball, and then we'll go from there throughout the summer." With Ezeogu listed at 275 pounds and projecting as a nine-technique defender outside the tight end, and McPher- son expecting to be near 250, the early outline suggests a group that is built to control the line of scrimmage with four defenders while creating disruption through coverage and pressure varia- tion. Junior safety Marcus Neal Jr. played a hybrid role in Iowa State's three-safety defense last season, operating near the line of scrimmage while also handling coverage responsibilities. He hopes to maintain that flexibility and said he can handle a roaming role in Lynn's system. "I feel like I show Coach Lynn, watching the film, that he could put me at a lot of different spots, and I would like to be in a lot of different spots," he said. "I don't like to stand in one spot. I want to show that I could play any- where." At this stage, Lynn likely has the clearest vision for how the pieces fit. Several key contributors, including red- shirt junior linebacker Tony Rojas, will not participate fully until the summer, further delaying a complete picture. For a coordinator whose calling card has been adaptability, that uncertainty may be by design. The framework is in place. The final form of Penn State's 2026 defense will emerge as the pieces come together. ■ Lions Excited About D'Anton Lynn's New Approach Senior linebacker Kooper Ebel was a three-year contribu- tor and two-year starter during his time at Iowa State. PHOTO COURTESY IOWA STATE ATHLETICS Upon Further Review 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