Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/672796
H ow quickly roles can change. Once a true freshman starter, Grant Haley is fast approaching his junior season at Penn State and is now one of the veteran leaders of a defensive unit that is aiming to replace almost half of last year's starters. At cornerback, especially, Haley is as- suming a role at the forefront of the po- sition, having seen the field more often than any of his po- sition-mates. But that doesn't mean it's an inexperienced group. In fact, four other CBs have played at times throughout their ca- reers. Christian Campbell missed much of his sophomore season due to injury, after starting once as a true freshman, but he practiced again in full this spring, while Garrett Taylor, who red- shirted as a true freshman, also saw an expanded role during the team's off-season workouts. With Haley in charge, in addition to a bona fide supporting cast, the cornerbacks were settling in nicely this spring, despite losing starter Trevor Williams to gradua- tion. "I think [with] having Christian back and having him being healthy and then people getting their feet wet last year and coming off redshirts, everyone is just comfortable," Haley said. "We know the system after almost our third year playing in this defensive sys- tem. Now everyone is more comfortable and now they can just play fast. We're making each other better, trying to make our offense better and just continuing to get better as well." Further bolstering the cornerback lineup this spring is Taylor, a Virginia native who suffered a severe knee injury in high school. | LAST LINE OF DEFENSE Grant Haley touts PSU's burgeoning depth in the defensive backfield TWO OF A KIND Reid and Haley head back to the locker room after one of Penn State's spring practice sessions. The two players are projected to be the Nittany Lions' starting corner- backs this fall. Photo by Steve Manuel