Penn State Nittany Lions Saved by David Joyner
Defense
The defensive unit, which gave up 26.2 points per game last year, fortunately returns a lot more talent than the offense, and there are still some young players who can make an impact. With that in mind, if Penn State wants to match last year’s season or make a jump, this will have to shoulder a heavier load. Luckily, the strength is where most of the returners are.
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The defensive line was very good in 2013, and three of the four starters are back. Tackle DaQuan Jones will be missed, but sophomore Austin Johnson should be fine in the middle after 20.5 tackles, 3 tackles for a loss, and a sack as a freshman last year. Junior Anthony Zettel could fill another spot at tackle after 6 tackles for a loss and 4 sacks in very limited action last year, but he might be more well-suited to play on the end. Speaking of end, both starters are back from last year. Senior C.J. Olaniyan is a do-it-all end who could be a star this year after 11 tackles for a loss, 5 sacks, an interception, and 3 forced fumbles last year. Junior Deion Barnes had 4 tackles for a loss and 2 sacks on the other side. Together they should help wreak havoc on the outside. Junior college transfer Tabow Barney could make an impact in the starting rotation, as could Carl Nassib, Tyrone Smith, Evan Schwan, Brad Bars, and Brian Gaia. As if the unit wasn’t loaded enough, redshirt freshmen Garrett Sickels, Curtis Cothran, and Parker Cothren will all be added to the mix this year, making for a very deep and talented unit that should be even better than last year.
The linebackers are also very deep, even if losing middle linebacker Glenn Carson and outside linebacker Stephen Obeng-Agyapong will hurt a bit. Senior Mike Hull is back after 61 tackles and 4.5 tackles for a loss last year, and sophomores Nyeem Wartman and Brandon Bell both had nearly as many tackles as Obeng-Agyapong despite playing as backup freshmen. Junior Ben Kline and sophomore Gary Wooten are also good enough to be in the rotation, making this a very deep unit that has lots of young talent as well. Sophomores Charles Idemudia and Adam Cole and freshman Troy Reeder round out a unit that should match last year’s production.
Sep 7, 2013; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end C.J. Olaniyan (86) celebrates after a sac during the second quarter against the Eastern Michigan Eagles at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Eastern Michigan 45-7. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O
The secondary also returns a large amount of talent, and although being the weakness of the unit last year, more experience should do the trick in fixing it. Junior cornerback Jordan Lucas was all over the field last year with 4.5 tackles for a loss, 2 forced fumbles, 13 passes broken up, and 3 interceptions. Look for him to be even more dominant, and a potential star, this year. Malcolm Willis is not a big loss at safety when you consider the return of seniors Adrian Amos and Ryan Keiser. Junior cornerback Trevor Williams is back on the other side after 2 interceptions and 8 passes broken up last year. Sophomores Malik Golden, Jordan Smith, and Dad Poquie, juniors Jesse Merise and Da’Quan Davis, and senior Jesse Della Valle all played last year as well and will be in a very deep rotation this year. Keep in mind that Franklin added 4-star freshman Koa Farmer, and there are four other guys in the system that make for a very deep unit. The secondary should be the most improved part of the defense this year with so much returning talent. And like the rest of the team, the future is bright with many sophomores and juniors on the team.
The defense as a whole should be better this year and become the strength of the team. A very strong line should be improved, great linebacker play should be unchanged, and the secondary should dramatically improve. Learning a new system may be difficult, but there is so much talent and depth this year that it should still be very strong. And the future looks even stronger. Continue to Next Slide for Special Teams