Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/703041
senior Evan Schwan is in the lead for the opposite defensive end spot. But 9rst, Schwan is going to have to fend o: a challenge from redshirt sophomore Tor- rence Brown. Brown had a solid 2015 season with 11 tackles, including 1.5 sacks and 5.5 tack- les for loss. I believe he has the potential to become the best outside pass rusher on the defensive line. Other young defensive ends to watch are redshirt freshmen Ryan Buchholz and Shareef Miller and possibly Sim- mons. DEFENSIVE TACKLE With the depar- ture of Johnson and Zettel, Penn State needed a sophomore or redshirt fresh- man to step forward this past spring and show he had the ability to become an impact player. It seems redshirt fresh- man Kevin Givens accepted that chal- lenge. Playing the three-technique spot, Givens 9nished the Blue-White Game as the Blue's leading tackler, with six total tackles, two sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss. He de9nitely sent a message that he wants to be in the four-man DT rota- tion. "I think Kevin has been a little bit of a surprise for all of us," defensive coordi- nator Brent Pry said. "We were certainly excited about him. He has a tremendous work ethic. He really understands the game. He understands blocking schemes. He's a mature guy. He's explo- sive. "He moved inside to three-technique and took it by the horns and really had a quality spring. He makes plays because he sees it quicker than other guys. Kevin's got a great feel inside." Givens' priority this summer is to add about 10 pounds and get to 285 so that he can become a 40-play performer this fall. Redshirt sophomore Antoine White is also poised to play a key role, as he is a projected starter at tackle alongside red- shirt junior Parker Cothren. Juco trans- fers Tyrell Chavis and Brenon Thri; will also have a chance to see signi9cant ac- tion. LINEBACKER If Nyeem Wartman- White and Brandon Bell stay healthy, I believe they will team with Jason Cabin- da to give Penn State one of the better starting linebacker units in the Big Ten. That being said, depth is a real concern at this position group. That's why soph- omores Manny Bowen and Jake Cooper need to be prepared to make an impact. They were both forced into action as freshmen last season when Wartman- White su:ered an ACL injury in the opener against Temple. Bowen played mostly the Sam outside linebacker posi- tion and 9nished with 18 tackles, while Cooper had 14 stops, including a sack and 2.5 tackles for loss. Both Bowen and Cooper have excellent closing speed and solid football instincts. SECONDARY Even with the departure of Lucas and cornerback Trevor Williams, this appears to be the strongest position group on the defense. That's because Penn State has built up a stockpile of young talent at the corner- back and safety spots. At cornerback, there's sophomore John Reid, redshirt sophomore Amani Oruwariye and red- shirt freshman Garrett Taylor. At safety, the top young players include redshirt sophomores Koa Farmer and Nick Scott and redshirt freshmen Ayron Monroe and Jarvis Miller. I believe Reid and Taylor have the best chance to make an impact this fall. Reid is the projected starter at the boundary cornerback position. In 2015 he had 29 total tackles, two interceptions and 9ve pass break-ups. Taylor redshirted last year because he was still recovering from an ACL injury he su:ered as a high school senior. He had a superb spring and has the versatil- ity to play cornerback, nickel back or even the star position in Penn State's 4- 2-5 defensive scheme. He reportedly is excellent in press coverage. Overall, the Nittany Lions will 9eld an extremely young team in 2016. If they hope to surpass the seven wins they produced each of the past two seasons, they will need a reasonable number of their underclassmen to develop into im- pact players this fall. Indeed, the matu- ration of those players may be the most important ingredient in Penn State's success. ■