Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/703041
P R E V I E W KEY PERSONNEL Brandon Bell*, Manny Bowen, Cameron Brown, Jason Cabinda*, Jake Cooper*, Jan Johnson, Brandon Smith, Jason Vranic, Von Walker, Nyeem Wartman-White* LOSSES Jordan Dudas, Ben Kline, Troy Reeder*, Gary Wooten RISING STAR Penn State's original plan was to redshirt Bowen as a true freshman. But to borrow a phrase from Mike Tyson, everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. So when injuries took their toll in the 2015 season opener, the redshirt was abruptly shed. Bowen went on to ap- pear in each of the next 12 games, one of five true freshmen to see action, along with position-mate Cooper, who also was thrust into action against Temple. His season wasn't without its struggles, but it was also littered with glimpses of potential. At 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds, he has the ideal frame for the Sam LB spot in Brent Pry's system. He'll start the sea- son behind Bell, but the experienced senior has the kind of skill set that al- lows him to play one of the box LB spots. With Bell shifting over to the Mike or Will positions occasionally, Bowen could see his chances become more frequent as the season moves along. And if that occurs, expect him to take full advantage. BIGGEST LOSS In an off-season with multiple transfers and early NFL departures, Reeder's decision was the team's least expected exit. Penn State had been building its depth chart, and Reeder was shaping up to be a main- stay of the linebacker corps. But his decision to leave for Delaware, where his father once played and where his younger brother recently enrolled as a true freshman, subtracts a player with experience who had figured at the very least to supply needed depth. NUMBERS GAME Wartman-White has 110 career tackles to his name, an average of about 37 per season. It's more than most, but far shy of what his goals likely were when he signed with PSU more than four years ago. An array of injuries have hindered his journey thus far. In fact, he has yet to play a complete season, missing one game in his most complete season (2014) when he was a team leader in stops with 75. If he's recovered from the knee injury that cost him nearly all of his junior season, he should have a chance to match that production in the finale of his career. OUTLOOK In comparison to previ- ous Penn State defenses, this year's team has few experienced linebackers on the roster. That might seem as though it should set off alarm bells, but the Nittany Lions aren't playing the same style of defense they played in the heyday of Linebacker U. Their current scheme often employs five or six defensive backs, which means there's less need for three full-time linebackers than there was even as re- cently as five years ago. As long as Pry has a few strong box LBs – which he does in Cabinda, Cooper and Wart- man-White – and a couple of versatile Sam LBs (Bell and Bowen), he has the front-line tools in place to operate his system. – T.O. >> PHIL'S TAKE The key to success here is the health of Mike/Will linebacker Nyeem Wart- man-White and Sam linebacker Brandon Bell. Wartman-White has missed nearly two full seasons (2012 and '15) with in- juries, while Bell, too, has had trouble staying healthy for an entire season. If those two seniors are able to steer clear of injuries this fall, I like the starting combo of Wartman- White in the middle, Bell at the Sam spot and Jason Cabinda at the Will outside linebacker position. If they are forced to miss significant ac- tion, Penn State will have to improvise, be- cause there's not a lot of depth. The key re- serves are senior Von Walker and sopho- mores Manny Bowen and Jake Cooper. It's likely that Penn State will frequently use its 4- 2-5 defensive set. Koa Farmer and Marcus Allen are candidates to play the star outside line- backer/strong safety position. OUTSIDE LINEBACKER NO NAME YR HT WT 5 N. Wartman-White Sr. 6-1 248 40 Jason Cabinda Jr. 6-1 232 33 Jake Cooper So. 6-1 230 INSIDE LINEBACKER 40 Jason Cabinda Jr. 6-1 232 5 N. Wartman-White Sr. 6-1 248 OUTSIDE LINEBACKER 11 Brandon Bell Sr. 6-1 233 43 Manny Bowen So. 6-1 220 25 Von Walker Sr. 5-11 213 * Starting experience in 2015 JASON CABINDA Steve Manuel OR OR OR