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By: Tyler Millen | Contributor GoPSUsports.com
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - As Penn State tore through the Big Ten in 2016 and achieved a conference title with a loaded backfield comprised of the electrifying Saquon Barkley and speedy Miles Sanders, the Nittany Lions found a recipe for success that will lay the foundation for 2023.
As the confetti fell from the sky amid the rain in Pasadena, California, the sun set on a historical 11-2 campaign with the Nittany Lions second Rose Bowl win. Despite a loaded locker room with highly-touted players providing essential depth, the mindset for the blue and white remains steady with a 1-0 mindset and a high level of competitiveness.
With Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen helping headline an offense with a mighty offensive line, Abdul Carter, Chop Robinson and Kalen King return as pivotal anchors on the defense, giving the Nittany Lions a strong returning nucleus on both sides of the ball.
Alongside its signature stars, the blue and white will be able to pack a punch at positions like linebacker, running back and throughout the defensive line, allowing head coach James Franklin to say that there's "competition at every single position."
"I think our depth is better than it's ever been since we've been here," Franklin said. "So, what I'm hoping is that we can play a lot of guys on offense, defense and special teams to be as healthy in the fourth quarter and as healthy at the end of the season as possible and the postseason too."
Penn State has bolstered its depth and experience at the defensive line position, creating competition between several veteran defensive tackles including redshirt senior Hakeem Beamon, senior Dvon Ellies, sophomore Zane Durant and junior Coziah Izzard. For Franklin, the depth of this core presents significant optimism.
"Some of our defensive tackles needed to put some size on and Hakeem [Beamon] is bigger than he's been in a long time," Franklin said. "We've got a chance to have, I think, one of the best D-Lines in the country from a depth and a talent standpoint but also a size standpoint… right now that is a position group that I'm really excited about that I think has a chance to take us to the next level on defense."
With competition and talent throughout the defense beyond the defensive line, defensive coordinator Manny Diaz enters year two in Happy Valley looking to continue developing a defense that finished fourth in the country in fewest yards per play at 4.61 and 17th nationally in fewest yards per game at 323.5.
Carter and Curtis Jacobs return at linebacker, Robinson and Adisa Isaac at edge rusher and King leads a veteran group of cornerbacks, the Nittany Lions are primed with talented defense heading into the fall. Last season, Carter, Durant, Dani Dennis-Sutton, Cam Miller, and K.J. Winston made immediate impacts as freshmen. Thursday afternoon, Diaz recognized the potential freshman influence of middle linebackers Tony Rojas and Ta'Mere Robinson who will further improve the depth and competition at Penn State's signature position.
"To be a player on the major college football landscape, you've got to have depth because the players have got to feel that their position is under threat at all times," Diaz said. "We play a lot of people like what you saw a year ago and I think that helps because when they see other guys go in the game and have success, they know plays are going to be made so it's not just me, and I better go in there and when I'm in there, I better give it my all because if I don't, this guy's gonna go in and I may not get my spot back again."
On the offensive side of the ball, Singleton and Allen are a lethal 1-2 punch in the backfield with speed, finesse and unique awareness and vision.
Despite losing three of the top four leaders in receiving yards from 2022, KeAndre Lambert-Smith and Kent State transfer Dante Cephas headline a wide receiver room with plenty of competition as Florida State transfer Malik McClain, Omari Evans and Harrison Wallace III among others, will all fight for playing time.
"So it's all about competition, it's all about being the best that you can be that day, a 1-0 mentality and we have to beat West Virginia," Yurcich said. "And whatever it takes to be better today and then tomorrow, handle tomorrow, but tomorrow when the sun comes up, we got to be better than we were yesterday and that's how you do it."
With Penn State looking to piece together another historical season following its fourth New Year's Six bowl appearance since 2016, competitiveness will continue to be at the forefront as a key catalyst for a veteran group looking to make an impact.
