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It’s a different type of target than last year. But defensive line coach Sean Spencer is well aware his players will be the focus of much attention from fans and opposing offenses alike.
Three Penn State defensive linemen — Austin Johnson (Tennessee), Anthony Zettel (Detroit), Carl Nassib (Cleveland) — were drafted by NFL teams this offseason. A fourth, Tarow Barney, signed with San Diego as a free agent.
In their wake, the defensive line corps has been one of the biggest stories of camp. Penn State was among the top defenses in the country last season, leading the country in sacks with 3.54 per game. They were sixth in tackles for loss (8.2) and 14th in total defense (324.5).
“We’re not rebuilding; we’re reloading,” Spencer said. “Those dudes right there, they’ve been waiting in the wings to play. We lost four NFL guys. And I don’t think we will lose a beat. Sure, they might target us – but if they do, they do. It’s just football.”
Parker Cothren, a 6-foot-4, 290-pound tackle from Alabama, will try to fill the void left by Johnson and Zettel at tackle. Cothren appeared in 13 games each of the past two seasons with 11 tackles in 2015 from the reserve role. His season highlight came on a blocked extra point against Northwestern.
“Parker Cothren’s leadership and experience is going to be critical,” Nittany Lions coach James Franklin said. “He’s one of the few guys on the inside with a decent amount of playing time and experience. We’re going to lean on him heavily.”
One of the most anticipated players in the offseason was Garrett Sickels. Sickels is the lone returning starter from the group, playing opposite to Nassib on the defensive end. He had a “monster summer,” defensive coordinator Brent Pry said, and is ready to emerge from the shadows of playing next to three NFL ready linemen.
Sickels registered 35 tackles in 2015, including five for a loss and three sacks. He led the Lions with two fumble recoveries against Army and San Diego. Sickels recorded eight tackles against national champion Ohio State.
“He’s gained size and strength, and he’s a very good pass-rusher,” Pry said. “If you go back and watch film from last year, he’s a step away before Nassib gets him or (Johnson) or Zettel. He was right there.”
Fresh off of a 21-tackle season, Evan Schwan is ready to emerge to fill in for Nassib at defensive end.
“Everyone is expecting him to do great things,” Spencer said. “You just never know. No one thought Carl Nassib would be who he was. I think Evan Schwan had his best workouts since I’ve been here, so I expect great things from him.”
Antoine White and Kevin Givens lead the mix for snaps at defensive tackle along with a handful of underclassmen. Givens redshirted as a freshman and White made 12 tackles in 10 games, seeing limited action.
The Lions coaching staff hopes to expedite their development, and how Givens and White progress in camp will determine their roles in the season opener vs. Kent State.
Franklin is banking on the team’s performance enhancement in the weight room. As a whole, its strength index rose 12 points from last summer. Both Pry and Spencer highlighted the added size put on the defensive line over the summer.
In spite of the line’s relative success last year, both players and coaches noted the corps has room for improvement. Sophomore defensive end Torrence Brown said the team needs to “focus on finishing the end of the game” as miscues led to too many games that slipped away in the fourth quarter last season. Spencer said the rushing defense could have been more effective.
“Last year, I wanted us to make the big plays we did two years ago when we were second against the run in the country,” Spencer said. “I would like to see that again, to be consistent with the pass rush.”
Without much in-game experience, much of the defensive unit went through the preseason with high expectations in order for them to win their starting roles.
“Several of those guys have asterisks by their name on my depth chart with some notes that this is what needs to happen in camp,” Pry said. “This is where they need to grow as a player. This is what they need to get better at. This is what we need to see from them.
“So when you have some young guys and you might need those guys, you’ve got to push the envelope a little bit until it becomes a negative.”
