Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1546586
O C T O B E R 2 0 2 6 3 9 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M redshirt senior is likely the most talented skill player on the roster, boasting le- gitimate NFL size (6-3, 203 pounds) and speed. He has a massive catch radius, long arms and a great vertical. His issue has al- ways been consistency, both in his overall play and his hands. Sowell got off to a shaky start in camp, but Campbell said he bounced back. He had 5 catches for 58 yards and a touch- down against Temple, but he also dropped a couple of catchable passes. An incon- sistent playmaker, Sowell still has plenty of room to "grow forward," as Campbell likes to say. Defense 1. Audavion Collins | CB | R-Sr. No player received more consistently positive feedback this offseason than Col- lins. He entered camp as the team's top defensive back and was the only healthy outside cornerback in preseason practice, which sharpened the spotlight on him at a banged-up position. The redshirt senior has the athletic traits to be a dominant cornerback in any scheme. Does his history with contested catches still give me some pause? Yes. But the overwhelming feedback from sources is that this is his defense now, and he's one of the team's top leaders. If he puts it all together in his senior season, Penn State's defense will be in good shape. 2. Tony Rojas | LB | R-Jr. Rojas was cleared over the summer and hit the ground running in camp. Still, he's less than a year removed from an ACL injury, and the staff has had to manage his workload carefully through the ramp-up. He played 35 snaps against Marshall and 34 versus Temple, making 14 tackles to lead the team through two games. When he's on the field, Rojas is a real force. This defense is designed to funnel plays toward the linebackers, and the red- shirt junior has a knack for finding the ball in the run game. As a coverage defender, he's proven himself elite, as evidenced by his interception versus the Owls. De- fensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn also trusts him as a blitzer, something we saw firsthand as well. He missed some practice time with a minor injury during camp, though noth- ing long-term, according to the staff. That missed time is the main reason he's not at the very top of this list. 3. Zion Tracy | NB | Sr. Penn State has made no secret that it wants to build part of this defense around Tracy's versatility. That alone keeps him no lower than third on this list. Still, he missed time in camp, which complicates implementing a scheme built specifically around him. His skill set is clear, though. He's a nickel cornerback with outside-corner speed and excellent length for his size (5- 11, 184). He also showed strong coverage instincts playing safety in a three-safety look in 2025. The plan is to blend those traits into something new this year, one that highlights his strengths and hides his weaknesses. 4. Siale Taupaki | DT | R-Sr.+ Taupaki was limited in spring practice and didn't get much of a chance to show what he could do early in the offseason. Since then, he's been on a tear. He's leaner now at 326 pounds, and his movement skills have improved noticeably. Campbell said his technique has taken a real step forward, too. That combination has made him in- credibly disruptive in the middle of this defense. He's also a leader in the defensive tackle room. He and fellow senior Keanu Williams need to make good on their size, experience and strength to form a real wall up front. When Lynn was the de- fensive coordinator at USC last year, the Trojans didn't have the manpower they needed in the middle, and the rest of the defense paid for it. This year's senior duo represents the best interior run-defense combination Lynn has had in three sea- sons as a college coordinator. 5. Kooper Ebel | LB | Sr. The defensive staff loves Ebel and takes every chance to praise him. He's a natural leader and a strong fit at middle linebacker as the defense's top commu- nicator. At 6-4, 233 pounds, he'll be an enforcer in the middle of the defense. Senior linebacker Kooper Ebel made 3 tackles, including an assisted tackle for loss, and broke up a pass against Marshall. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS