Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/717693
I t is no indictment of Penn State's 2016 defensive tackles to say that no one is quite sure what to make of them. That uncertainty has little to do with the guys who make up this year's unit, and every- thing to do with the guys who led the line last fall. You know, the ones who are now in the NFL. The loss of do-it-all duo Anthony Zettel and Austin Johnson, as well as backup Tarow Barney, cost the Nittany Lions an exceptional group of tough, talented and experienced interior play- makers. Sending players to the pros is, of course, a point of pride for any program, and with Zettel and Johnson drafted by the Detroit Lions and Tennessee Titans, respectively, and the undrafted Barney fighting for a spot with the Jets, there's currently no unit in the Lasch Building with more bragging rights about its re- cent alumni. As for the 2016 group? The Lions' his- tory at the position, as well as the high school resumes of the players on the roster, imply there might be more stars waiting to emerge. But from outside, at least, there's not much evidence either way. Fans and media can only wait and see if this group can fill the sizable shoes of its predeces- sors. Or, we could ask the players themselves. Hey, Parker Cothren, think you guys might surprise some people? "We're going to be great up front this year," Cothren said. "If anyone's sur- prised about that, then I guess so." That confidence was on full display at the team's annual preseason media day, when Cothren and his unit mates joked, laughed and posed for group selfies with position coach Sean Spencer. The 6- foot-4, 290-pound redshirt junior is the most experienced member of the group, and while that may not seem like much, he certainly seems to be setting the tone for his fellow linemen. "I'll just say this: The D-line, we're not replacing people, we're reloading. We're ready to go," he said. "We have young talent that's been watching A.J., been watching Zettel, and learning from them. Now we're going to take what we learned and apply it and have another good year." Reload-not-rebuild is an easy sports cliché, of course, but for Spencer and this group, it's also a mantra. "Rebuild has negative connotations, and I don't say it," the coach explained. "I say reload because guys come into this program with expec- tations." As well they should. On the eve of his third season, Spencer has shown no signs of letting Penn State's proud lineage of producing NFL-ready linemen end on his watch. And there's no question he's got the raw material to work with. Cothren, an Alabama native who turned down multiple Southeastern Conference offers, played in every game in each of the past two seasons. Of course, most of those ap- pearances came in spot duty, spelling the AN INSIDE JOB DTs confident that Lions' revamped line will thrive | BIG MAN ON CAMPUS Cothran, a 6-5, 280- pound redshirt junior, could be one of the key players on a defensive line that must replace two starting tackles. Photo by Ryan Snyder