Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1546159
1 8 S E P T E M B E R 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 Like many of Penn State's position groups, the linebackers received a talent infusion from Iowa State this offsea- son. Four Cyclones followed head coach Matt Campbell from Ames to State Col- lege, including junior Cael Brezina. It's been a period of transition for the 6-foot-3, 233-pound defender from Downers Grove, Ill. He's been adjust- ing to a new school and dozens of new teammates, including holdover line- backers like redshirt junior Tony Rojas and sophomore Alex Tatsch. In addi- tion, he's working with a new defensive coordinator in D'Anton Lynn, who ar- rived from USC just as the wave of Iowa State expats were getting settled into their new surroundings. Brezina played in 20 games and started 12 in his two seasons with the Cyclones. He recently talked with Penn State beat reporters about how his eight months in State College have gone. QUESTION: How has the summer been for you, and in what ways has it been different than your previous ex- periences? BREZINA: "It's been awesome. We've had a little bit more football stuff than what I'm used to, just because we're a new team and we're getting guys back from injury, and so there's that aspect of it where we're still trying to learn the defense and the offense and make sure the new guys coming in are good with it. But it's been really good. … It feels like the team is really coming together." QUESTION: How much did you get done in the spring as far as installing the defense? A lot of the offensive guys came in with Taylor Mouser's system, but you guys on defense are picking up D'Anton Lynn's system. How has that process gone? BREZINA: "We got pretty deep into it in the spring, which was awesome. We're getting even more new stuff in the summer, but I think we're only scratching the surface of what Coach Lynn is bringing to the table. There's a lot of stuff he can do and a lot of stuff he wants to do. We're getting all our guys back healthy and freeing up some of those tools. I think there's a lot of different stuff that we're able to do and put in." QUESTION: What does this system do for the linebackers? How does it give you an advantage? BREZINA: "I think there's a lot of multiplicity. We're asked to do a lot of stuff, whether it's covering, whether it's blitzing, [or stopping] the run. We're asked to do a lot of stuff, and I think that's good for all of us and our skill sets. We're all really good athletes, and we're able to do different things." QUESTION: You're getting Tony Rojas back from a season-ending knee injury. What's he been like in the room, and how is he meshing with the rest of the linebackers? BREZINA: "He brings a lot of light and joy. He's excited to be back out there, and I think it's reflected in how he acts and how he plays and prepares. It's been awesome to have him back." QUESTION: You've got a lot of vet- eran players in that room. What do you think it's going to be like jostling for position and earning snaps at all three spots? BREZINA: "I guess we don't totally know the answer to that question yet. But I'll tell you, the people who are go- ing to be out of there on the field are elite players. Top to bottom, we've got a ton of really, really elite players and guys who can play all three positions, and I think that's really good for our team." QUESTION: You dealt with some injuries earlier in your career. How have you been able to regroup from those set- backs, and where are you at physically right now? BREZINA: "I feel like I'm in the best shape of my life. Freshman year, I had a bunch of complications, just because I had put on 40 pounds of muscle right away. I think that kind of messed with my body a little bit. It was good weight, but my dad says it was like putting a Ferrari engine in a Honda Civic body. I had too much horsepower for what my body knew how to deal with, and that's how I ended up with the shoulder and hamstring and ankle injuries, get- ting surgery on all of those my freshman year. "But since then, it's been smooth sailing. I put in a lot of time and ef- fort trying to keep my body mobile and healthy, and I think I'm in the best spot physically I've ever been." ■ Sitting Down With Junior Linebacker Cael Brezina Brezina made the jump from Iowa State to Penn State after starting five games and totaling 29 tackles for the Cyclones last season. PHOTO BY THOMAS FRANK CARR