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Going into Penn State's game against Temple, he was sixth on the team in total tackles (37), tied for second with 8.5 tackles for loss and was leading the Nit- tany Lions with six sacks. "Deion has really matured physically at defensive end," Shoop said. "The area where he's improved the most is against the run. Deion has always been an out- standing pass rusher, but he's now a complete player." The player on Penn State's defensive front four who has shown he has All- America potential is Zettel. Through his 8rst nine games this season, the former defensive end had posted 25 tackles and was 8rst on the team with 10 tackles for loss and second with 8ve sacks. But per- haps even more impressive than the number of tackles he's made are his two interceptions, four pass break-ups and six passes defended. Zettel was tied with Trevor Williams for second place on the team in interceptions and was also sec- ond behind Jordan Lucas in passes de- fended. Zettel is one of the most athletic three-technique defensive tackles I've seen in 30 years of covering Penn State's football program. "He was an athletic defensive end," Franklin said. "But by moving him in- side, he's now becoming an even more athletic defensive tackle. He's got a tremendous motor. He's got really good quickness. He's really sudden o9 the ball with tremendous leverage. "His spin move is really, really good. His tenacity is unbelievable. He's big enough at 285 pounds, but there are much bigger defensive tackles. So I think it's a combination of his strength and his quickness that makes him so disruptive in there." Combine Zettel's physical skills with his attitude and you have a formula for success. He is never satis8ed with how he has performed in a game, always be- lieving he can play at a higher level. "I know I have a lot of stu9 to im- prove," he said. "I've le; a lot of plays out on the 8eld. If I could have done something simple techniquewise, I could have made a play. So I know I have a lot to improve on to be a great player. I'm just go- ing to keep striving to be that." The tattoo on his right bicep highlights Zettel's approach to football and how he's reacted to all the problems Penn State has faced so far this season: "See it through when you're up against a trouble." He won't let anything or anyone convince him that he's al- ready arrived as an All-Big Ten or All- America player. That's because he wants to stay hungry. "You are never as good as you think you are," he said. "I'm always trying to get better and im- prove." If Zettel is the most likely player on Penn State's defensive line to win 8rst- team All-Big Ten acclaim, then Johnson might be the line's most underappreci- ated starter. Despite playing the one- technique tackle spot – a spot at which players rarely rack up big statistics – Johnson was right behind Barnes with 33 total tackles. He also had 3.5 tackles for loss and one sack. But his stats only hint at how important he is to Penn State's defense. At 6-foot-4, 312 pounds, John- son is Penn State's biggest and strongest defensive lineman, bench pressing over 400 pounds. But he also has impressive quickness and lateral mobility. "Just the ability for him to move his body, as big as he is, is very impressive," Zettel said. "He works hard, has great hands, hips, everything, so just playing next to him makes me better and makes the whole defense better." For a player of his size, Johnson has impressive athletic ability. But it's his ability to command double-teams from opposing guards and centers that makes him such a valuable asset. Said Shoop, "By forcing double-team blocks, Austin frees up opportunities for Zettel, Deion, C.J. and Hull. He keeps opponents' guards from getting to the second level and keeps them o9 of our linebackers – gives them the opportunities to make plays." CLOSING IN FAST Barnes gets ready to wrap up Maryland quarterback C.J. Brown during the Terps' visit to Beaver Stadium earlier this month. Photo by Steve Manuel

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