2022 Penn State Preview: The Defense

    Much like its offensive counterpart, the new Penn State defense will have plenty of depth in 2022. Some of that depth might not be well-known names, but there will be no lack of talent. There is some youth and inexperience among that depth and talent, but I don’t think that will be an issue for new defensive coordinator Manny Diaz. Also, for what it’s worth, the Diaz to Penn State hire is one of the biggest moves of the college football offseason. If you’ve followed Diaz throughout his career, his defenses have always been near the top in sacks and tackles for loss. I expect that trend to continue this year.  

Diaz is big at letting his dudes fly around, play free, and get after the quarterback. I expect the wealth to be spread out with sacks and tackles for loss. Much like the offense, and I reference this in my offensive preview last week, there is depth on the defense. Sure, there might be the inexperience factor, but I don’t see it having an impact in a negative way. Manny Diaz knows what he’s doing. I think you’ll find some of the true freshman will have some sort of role whether on defense or special teams which is more likely.  

The defense will be fast and disruptive. They might give up a few big plays (duh) but in the long run they’ll make more of those big plays with key stops and turnovers. Let’s get into some of those names that will end up making those big plays.  

(Photo by Centre Daily Times)

We start with those big guys up front. Sean Clifford wasn’t the only key player to get hurt against Iowa, defensive tackle PJ Mustipher suffered what ended up being a season-ending leg injury. He had 3 tackles for loss and 1 sack through 4 games and a quarter. Announcing he’s coming back for what will be his 6th season gave Penn State a HUGE boost on defense. He’s going to be the unquestioned leader for Many Diaz and could be one of his best players. It’s really a toss-up as to who starts at the other tackle spot next to Mustipher. Coziah Izzard and Dvon Ellies both played well in Mustipher’s absence, but I’d give the nod to Izzard. If you read the offensive breakdown you’ll notice a theme, there are a handful of ‘other guys’ that could easily end up becoming starters. Guys like Hakeem Beamon, Jordan van den Berg, Fatorma Mulbah and freshman Zane Durant all will be in the rotation. Durant has been getting a lot of hype since arriving in State College early in the year. The defensive end spot doesn’t have as much depth but there’s no shortage of talent. Much like tackles, there will be two guys who are labeled as “starters”, but there will be a few names who push for that time. Adisa Isaac is coming off an injury that caused him to miss all of last season, but he is poised to have the type of impact they were hoping for in 2021. Arnold Ebikete came to Penn State last season via the transfer portal and James Franklin adds yet another transfer defensive end who they expect to make a similar impact. Chop Robinson comes from Maryland after a solid freshman campaign. Nick Tarburton and Smith Vilbert also look to pick up where they left off last year. I think one of the biggest names on either side of the ball is another true freshman, Dani Dennis-Sutton. The 6’5” 254-pound 5-star from Maryland just got on campus last month but dominated all the camps he attended, including the All-American Bowl in January. He missed the 2020 season due to COVID and some of the 2021 season due to an injury, but all signs point to him having an immediate impact for Diaz.  

• Defensive Ends– Adisa Isaac/Chop Robinson 
• Defensive Tackles – PJ Mustipher/Coziah Izzard 

 

If I had to point to a "weak spot" for Penn State this year it would be at linebacker. The inexperience and youth I’ve mentioned will show up at some point this season I’d have to think. This is probably the position with the most number of names that people will not recognize. Manny Diaz is also the linebackers coach and he’s a good one so while sure, there are some new names stepping in, there is no doubt that Diaz will have these guys ready to play and develop them. When you look at the depth at linebacker, it’s there. The two names that MOST Penn State fans will know are Jonathan Sutherland and Curtis Jacobs. Sutherland is making the move from safety to linebacker, but it’ll be like he’s in a hybrid role and while he'll play in coverage of course, Diaz will bring him off the edge with his athleticism and speed to disrupt things. You might see more ‘younger’ guys step in and play at linebacker than any other position. True freshmen Abdul Carter and Keon Wylie will play big roles both at linebacker and on special teams. We have A LOT of athleticism and potential at the position, maybe more than most years, and I think that might make up for the lack of experience. Kobe King, Jamari Buddin, and Tyler Eldson are a trio of names to really keep an eye on as camp opens in a little over a week. All have extremely high ceilings and are the kind of linebackers that Diaz will use as often as he sees fit. I said this could be a weak spot for the defense, and the team overall, but I don’t think that it will last long as the season progresses.  

• Sam Linebacker – Curtis Jacbos 
• Mike Linebacker –

             1a. Kobe King 

             1b. Jamari Buddin 

             1c. Tyler Eldson  

*This will be the biggest position battle during camp 

• Will Linebacker – Jonathan Sutherland  

Okay. Now onto what I think is the best position group on the team and has the potential to be the best in the country, the defensive backs. I know people hate doing this but looking ahead to a game that is circled every year for this team, Ohio State, this group of cornerbacks and safeties is arguably the biggest reason why we can win that game and really any game. I got hyped early and often last year about our secondary, and for the most part it stayed true. There were some lapses with guys like Joey Porter Jr and Tariq Castro-Fields, but Porter Jr made the decision to come back and have that bounce-back season and I think he will. He’s got terrific size and has shown off his ability to play man-to-man and break up the pass. He's poised for the NFL. Playing opposite Porter Jr is going to be sophomore Kalen King. You could tell he was a true freshman at times last year but that doesn’t mean he didn’t put a good tape together. He showed some things that made the preseason accolades and the hype very real. I expect him to be more confident and consistent this year. To the safety position. Ji’Ayir Brown led the nation in interceptions and might’ve flown under the radar because of his All-American teammate Jaquan Brisker but this year he won’t. Next to him will either be Zakee Wheatley or Jaylen Reed. Both have gotten praise in the offseason, Reed was the ‘takeaway king’ for the defense. The secondary is also a group that is deep at both corner and safety. Maybe not as deep as others, but like the others, it’s there. Coach Anthony Pointdexter declined the head coaching job at his alma mater Virgina and chose to come back to Penn State and that is going to prove to be an enormous decision for Penn State. 

• CB – Joey Porter Jr 
• FS – Ja’Ayir Brown 
• SS – Zakee Wheatley 
• CB – Kalen King 

 

I know I’m Captain Optimism when it comes to Penn State, but this team and the pieces have given me a good reason to be excited and optimistic. The first half of the schedule is tough but making it through with one loss would be huge. I’ll eventually give a prediction on the podcast, but until then enjoy the first wave of Stephen’s Penn State previews. I appreciate all the support! 

 

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