Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545675
A U G U S T 2 0 2 6 6 1 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / T H E D E F E N S E / / / / / / / 4. Caleb Bacon | LB When we talk about Penn State's best players, we're referring not just to talent but to consistency. The Nittany Lions need players who can be relied upon to do their job. Bacon, a 6-4, 242-pound redshirt se- nior, fits that description. The Iowa State transfer may co-start at Will, but when Penn State goes to a three-linebacker look, he becomes a key part of the Lions' ability to change the defensive front right before the snap. He's an old-school Sam linebacker, and PSU has the luxury of using him that way. Bacon may not show up every game against spread offenses, but when the Lions want to bully their opponent up front, he will be a key part of that plan. 5. Kooper Ebel | LB As a middle linebacker, Ebel's job is to command the defense by mastering not only his own position but the posi- tions around him. During spring drills, the staff was so confident in him that they cross-trained him at Will during the Blue-White Practice. By all accounts, the 6-4, 233-pound senior took to the four- down defensive approach well in his first few months at Penn State after transfer- ring from Iowa State. The downside? Most of the players on this list are clearly better athletes at their positions than Ebel is at his. His cover- age skills are a concern, even if middle linebackers are easier to hide in coverage than most other positions. 6. Keanu Williams | DT Williams is the most experienced player in this particular defense. A 6-5, 317-pound redshirt senior, he flashed high-end run-defense traits and is using this year as a bounce-back season after an Achilles injury in 2024. Players can typically return to action within a year of such a devastating injury, but most need two years to fully recover. Penn State is banking on Williams being ready for a return to form after an average 2025 season. He's an excellent techni- cal run defender — quick enough to win one-on-one matchups and big enough to absorb and then defeat double teams. 7. Audavion Collins | CB With a two-year completion rate of over 80 percent on jump balls, Collins still has room for improvement. The 5-11, 183-pound redshirt senior needs to learn to fight through contact and make more plays on the football. If he can do that, his ranking will skyrocket based on physical talent alone. Collins is one of the most athletic and explosive outside cornerbacks to come through Penn State's program in some time. One of the reasons his contested- catch numbers are so high is that he's on receivers like glue. From a talent perspec- tive, Collins could be a top-75 draft pick if he fixes his issues at the catch point. He's a senior, though, so that's a big if. 8. Daryus Dixson | CB Dixson is probably ranked too low, but the feedback this spring pointed to Col- lins as the Nittany Lions' lead cornerback, which means that Dixson can't be ranked ahead of him. Looked at from that perspective, it makes sense that the 6-0, 184-pound sophomore lands eighth. From every other perspective, though, he belongs in the top five. We plan to re-rank the of- fense and defense throughout the year, so hopefully this gets corrected eventually. 9. Armstrong Nnodim | DT Nnodim's star is rising in the defensive tackle room, and he could easily become a standout who climbs this list during the year. That said, the 6-2, 319-pound redshirt sophomore is clearly raw from a technique standpoint and needs to improve his con- sistency at staying square with the line of scrimmage when shedding blocks. If he can unlock his hips from his shoulders, he can be a dominant run defender who gets stops and makes plays at the line of scrimmage. For now, the Oklahoma State transfer is on the lower half of the list, but with an upward-pointing arrow. 10. Ikenna Ezeogu | DE It's less likely for an older player to have a breakout year, especially a player like Ezeogu with 1,135 career snaps and 633 pass-rushing attempts. While he's seen plenty of action, Ezeogu has produced 2 sacks and 2 quarterback hits in his career. Yes, the 6-5, 273-pound redshirt senior, another Iowa State transfer, is changing his situ- ation by dropping weight and playing outside. However, talented pass rush- ers typically find a way to get more than 2 sacks in three years, regardless of the circumstances. At the very least, he'll be a strong veteran presence against the run coming off the edge. 11. Yvan Kemajou | DE Kemajou is too low based on his tal- ent and trajectory. The 6-3, 252-pound sophomore was by far the most notice- able pass rusher during the Blue-White scrimmage and should take a leap in pro- duction this year. However, he was ineffective last year and still needs to prove it against Big Ten tackles. His spot at No. 11 reflects the current outlook for the defensive end room: promising, but still by far the weakest group on paper this year. ■ Defensive tackle Armstrong Nnodim transferred from Oklahoma State and could develop into a key run defender for the Nittany Lions. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS