Blue White Illustrated

>> KEY PERSONNEL ILB: Mike Hull*, Troy Reeder, Gary Wooten; OLB: Matthew Baney, Brandon Bell*, Jason Cabinda, Charles Idemudia, Von Walker, Nyeem Wartman* LOSSES ILB: Glenn Carson*; OLB: Ben Kline RISING STAR Bell came on strong at the end of his true freshman season, starting the Lions' finale against Wis- consin and tying his season-high with six tackles. He also pressured Badgers quarterback Joel Stave to force a C.J. Olaniyan interception. One of three true freshmen to make at least one start last fall, Bell finished the year with 24 tack- les. BIGGEST LOSS Has there been a more dependable player in recent Penn State history than Carson? It's doubtful. The stalwart middle linebacker started 35 of 37 games the past three seasons and was Penn State's leading tackler a year ago with 90 stops. In May, Carson signed a free-agent contract with the Arizona Cardinals. NUMBERS GAME Using a point sys- tem that factored in national awards, All-America and All-Conference honors and draft position, ESPN's College Foot- ball Nation blog ranked Penn State fifth nationally in its production of lineback- ers during the 2000s. The Nittany Lions finished with 134 points and trailed Ohio State (222), Alabama and Oklaho- ma (174 apiece) and USC and Miami (140 apiece). OUTLOOK Stop us if you've heard this one before: The Nittany Lions' prospects at linebacker hinge to a large degree on their health. If any of the starters were to miss a significant por- tion of the season, the lack of proven depth could cause some real problems. The unit has already suffered a signifi- cant blow with Kline out for the season due to a torn Achilles tendon. His loss makes it all the more likely that Cabinda will be thrust into a backup role right away. Reeder, too, could be headed for a busy freshman season. But the first- team trio holds the key. Hull is starting for the third season in a row, albeit at a new position, and he will no doubt provide invaluable senior lead- ership. He's not as bulky as Carson was, standing 6-foot-0, 232 pounds, but he's one of the strongest players on the team and has the ability to range from sideline to sideline. At outside linebacker, Wart- man and Bell look to have the playmak- ing potential that Penn State needs at those spots. Wartman started eight games as a redshirt freshman, bouncing back from a 2012 season that ended shortly after it began due to a knee in- jury. He broke up four passes, so he's definitely got the athletic ability to cre- ate problems for opponents. Bell, mean- while, is one of the Lions' most promis- ing young players. Even before he start- ed to make an impact on defense, he was excelling on the kick-coverage units, and he finished the season tied for third on the team with six special teams tack- les. So, long story short, there are a multi- tude of variables in play here. If Hull makes a seamless transition to the mid- dle... and if everyone stays healthy from here on out... and if the freshmen are ready to make an immediate impact... and if Bell picks up where he left off at the end of last season... if all those things happen, Penn State could field a very solid linebacker corps this fall. But that's a lot of ifs. – M.H. OUTSIDE LINEBACKER NO NAME YR HT WT 26 Brandon Bell So. 6-1 222 40 Jason Cabinda Fr. 6-1 248 INSIDE LINEBACKER 43 Mike Hull Sr. 6-0 232 8 Gary Wooten So. 6-2 237 OUTSIDE LINEBACKER 5 Nyeem Wartman So. 6-1 236 25 Von Walker So. 5-11 207 * Starting experience in 2013 "He and Glenn split time a couple of years ago at the middle linebacker posi- tion," Shoop said. "Last year, I think put- ting the best players on the :eld, they moved him to the :eld and had Glenn in the middle and did some di;erent things at the Will linebacker and they used Stephen [Obeng-Agyapong] in some dif- ferent ways that I thought was really cre- ative on their part. But Mike is the leader. He's the quarterback of the defense." Cited by coach James Franklin as one of the team's primary strengths, Hull is part of a :rst-string defensive unit that features both experience and talent. Penn State has lost only four starters from the 2013 season and returns 12 players who started games through the course of the season. Hull said he's seen the team's younger linebackers make strides in the o;-season, noting the work that Wartman, Gary Wooten, Brandon Bell and new hybrid linebacker Von Walker have put in during the past eight months. But even if those players shine this fall, there's little doubt that Hull will be the linchpin of the Lions' linebacker group. Taking his cues from such accomplished predecessors as Carson and Michael Mauti, Hull said he's learned how to be an e;ec- tive, vocal leader while setting his sights on the future. "I try not to dwell on the past and on injuries because you really can't control that kind of stu;," he said. "I know the way I work out and go about working might have caused some of those injuries, but I think that's just something you've got to deal with. I still have one more year le=, and that's all that matters – moving toward the future and taking everything one day at a time." ■ >>

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