Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/78639
throughout Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. His return was good news indeed for Penn State as it looks to maintain its recruiting edge in those talent-laden areas. Now the bad news: Johnson's defen- sive line must be substantially rebuilt this fall. The Lions need a new end and a new tackle to replace Still, last sea- son's Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Junior DaQuan Jones is likely to succeed Still. The 312-pound rising junior got significant playing time in the TicketCity Bowl, with Still bothered by a turf toe injury. At defensive end, senior Sean Stan- ley is the Lions' key returnee. As a jun- ior, Stanley played his way into the starting lineup, finishing with 4.5 sacks. Penn State is also hopeful that Pete Massaro will be ready to return to ac- tion as a senior after suffering a sea- son-ending knee injury last spring. And the Lions have two redshirt soph- omores ready to go in Kyle Baublitz and C.J. Olaniyan. Baublitz was list- ed behind Stanley and Eric Latimore in the three-deep that Penn State pub- lished prior to the bowl game. But the Lions also signed a number of young defensive ends in last year's recruit- ing class, and the 2012 season might afford one or two of them – Deion Barnes perhaps – an opportunity to make a quick impact. The Nittany Lions' top defensive line- man next season is likely to be Jordan Hill. A rising senior, Hill was overshad- owed by Still last season but was very effective in helping Penn State finish fourth in the Big Ten against the run – so effective that he requested an NFL evaluation at the end of the season. He's set to come back for his final season and is likely to inherit Still's role as the team's most formidable defensive tack- le and one of its defensive leaders. "I think he's going to be a great play- er next year," Johnson said. "He's got great pass-rush ability. He's tough, he's big, he's physical. He's got a lot of great tools." LINEBACKER There's probably going to be more continuity here than at any of the team's other position groups, and that's almost certainly a good thing for Penn State. Linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden is back, as are starters W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P E R S O N N E L B R E A K D O W N O F F E N S E QUARTERBACK COMING Steven Bench (Fr.) GOING None RETURNING Rob Bolden (Jr.), Paul Jones (R-So.) Matt McGloin (Sr.), Shane McGregor (Sr.) TAILBACK COMING Akeel Lynch (Fr.) GOING Brandon Beachum, Stephfon Green RETURNING Derek Day (Sr.), Curtis Dukes (R-Jr.), Silas Redd (Jr.) FULLBACK COMING None GOING Joe Suhey RETURNING Michael Zordich (Sr.), Zach Zwinak (R-So.) RECEIVER COMING Eugene Lewis (Fr.), Malik Golden (Fr.), Jonathan Warner (Fr.), Trevor Williams (Fr.) GOING Derek Moye RETURNING Bill Belton (So.), Justin Brown (Sr.), Curtis Drake (R-Jr.), Shawney Kersey (R-Jr.), Christian Kuntz (R-Jr.), Brandon Moseby- Felder (R-Jr.), Allen Robinson (So.), Devon Smith (Sr.) Matt Zanelatto (R-Fr.) TIGHT END COMING Jesse James (Fr.), Brent Wilkerson (Fr.) GOING Andrew Szczerba RETURNING Nate Cadogan (R-Jr.), Kyle Carter (R-Fr.), Garry Gilliam (R- Jr.), Kevin Haplea (Jr.), Brian Irvin (Sr.) TACKLE COMING None GOING Quinn Barham, Chima Okoli RETURNING Mike Farrell (Sr.), Adam Gress (R-Jr.), Ryan Nowicki (R-Fr.), Donovan Smith (R-Fr.), Eric Shrive (R-Jr.) GUARD COMING Brian Gaia (Fr.), Anthony Stanko (Fr.) GOING DeOn'tae Pannell, Johnnie Troutman RETURNING Mark Arcidiacono (R-Jr.), Frank Figueroa (R-Jr.), Khamrone Kolb (R-So.), Angelo Mangiro (R- Fr.), John Urschel (R-Jr.) CENTER COMING Wendy Laurent (Fr.) GOING None RETURNING Miles Dieffenbach (R-So.), Ty Howle (R-Jr.), Matt Stankiewitch (Sr.) D E F E N S E DEFENSIVE END COMING Evan Schwan (Fr.) GOING Jack Crawford, Eric Latimore RETURNING Deion Barnes (R-Fr.), Kyle Baublitz (R-So.), Brad Bars (R-So.), Jordan Kerner (R-Fr.), Pete Mas- saro (Sr.), Shawn Oakman (R-Fr.), C.J. Olaniyan (R-So.), Sean Stanley (Sr.), DEFENSIVE TACKLE COMING Derek Dowrey (Fr.), Austin Johnson (Fr.), Jamil Pollard (Fr.) GOING Devon Still RETURNING Anthony Alosi (R-Fr.), Luke Graham (R-So.), Evan Hailes (R-So.), Jordan Hill (Sr.), DaQuan Jones (Jr.), James Terry (Sr.), An- thony Zettel (R-Fr.) OUTSIDE LINEBACKER COMING Nyeem Wartman (Fr.) GOING Nate Stupar RETURNING Khairi Fortt (Jr.), Gerald Hodges (Sr.), Mike Hull (R-So.), Michael Mauti (Sr.), Dakota Royer (R-So.) INSIDE LINEBACKER COMING None GOING None RETURNING Glenn Carson (Jr.), Ben Kline (R-Fr.), Jamie Van Fleet (Sr.), Mike Yancich (Sr.) CORNERBACK COMING Da'Quan Davis (Fr.), Jake Kiley (Fr.) GOING D'Anton Lynn, Chaz Powell RETURNING Adrian Amos (So.), Alex Kenney (R-So.), Stephon Morris (Sr.), Derrick Thomas (R-Jr.), Mike Wallace (R-Jr.) SAFETY COMING Jordan Lucas (Fr.) GOING Drew Astorino, Nick Sukay RETURNING Jake Fagnano (Sr.), Ryan Keiser (R-So.), Stephen Obeng- Agyapong (R-Jr.), Malcolm Willis (R-Jr.) S P E C I A L T E AMS KICKER COMING None GOING David Soldner RETURNING Anthony Fera (R-Jr.), Sam Ficken (So.) PUNTER COMING None GOING Russell Nye RETURNING Alex Butterworth (Jr.), Anthony Fera (R-Jr.) M A R C H 2 3 , 2 0 1 2 29

