Blue White Illustrated

A T T H E 2 0 1 8 N I T T A N Y L I O N S pounds, could be one to watch this spring. LINEBACKER KEY RETURNEES ILB: Ellis Brooks, Jan Johnson; OLB: Cam Brown, Jake Cooper, Brelin Faison-Walden, Koa Farmer, Brai- lyn Franklin, Jarvis Miller, Jason Vranic KEY LOSSES ILB: Jason Cabinda; OLB: Manny Bowen, Brandon Smith NEWCOMERS Charlie Katshir, Jesse Luketa, Micah Parsons, Nick Tarburton OUTLOOK On the day that Parsons signed his letter of intent in December, James Franklin announced that the five- star defensive end prospect would begin his Nittany Lion career as a Mike line- backer. It was not just an endorsement of Parsons' athletic gifts; it was also a re- minder of how little depth Penn State has at linebacker heading into the 2018 sea- son. With the Nittany Lions having lost Cabinda, a four-year starter, and Smith, they are down a pair of MLBs and their two best tacklers at the position in 2017. Together, Cabinda and Smith combined for 150 stops, and that's with Smith start- ing only the final four games after the suspension of Will linebacker Bowen. Bowen was removed from the roster after the regular season, and it appeared that his Penn State career had come to an end. But on Dec. 31, he posted a message on Instagram suggesting that he was still hoping to return to the team. "This is not the legacy I want to leave for myself at Penn State," he wrote. "We all go through situations that mark the turning point in our lives for the better or for the worse. Everybody goes through it differently. Mistakes were made. Now from this point on it's about how I respond." It's also about how Franklin responds, and there was no immediate indication whether Bowen will have an opportunity to resume his career with the Nittany Lions. As of mid-January, he was not on the roster. Bowen's exit makes Farmer the veteran of this position group, even though he was still transitioning into the Sam OLB spot a year ago. Experience is anything but copious for this group. As an early en- rollee, Parsons will get his shot to crack the lineup at arguably the most important position on defense. It won't just be handed to him, however. Johnson, a walk-on, has bided his time and has steadily improved. His trajectory through his first three years in the pro- gram has been reminiscent of Smith's. "[He's] really caught our attention," said Pry, who doubles as Penn State's line- backers coach. Johnson, Pry said, is a "physical guy who gets the game and is smart." Also in the mix is Brooks, a former four-star recruit who sheds his redshirt. Just as Johnson will likely remind some of Smith, Brooks has skills that are akin to the ones that a younger Cabinda brought to Penn State four years ago. "He's very bright, very mature and understanding of the game," Pry said. "He's a physical State's 35-28 victory over Washington. But it was a big one, as he dropped quarterback Jake Browning for a sack to help thwart the Huskies' comeback bid. Gross-Matos said that as the season went on, he gained confidence and was better positioned to make those kind of game-altering plays. "I've learned so much more," he said. "I feel much more comfortable out there." ■ THRILL OF THE CHASE Gross-Matos closes in on Washing- ton quarterback Jake Browning during the Fiesta Bowl. The freshman defensive end sacked Browning, helping the Nittany Lions maintain a late lead in what would become a 35-28 vic- tory. Photo by Steve Manuel

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