Depth chart breakdown: What to expect from Penn State football’s defense in 2021

We’ve spent the offseason dissecting Penn State football’s potential depth chart on both sides of the ball. With all 11 starters projected on offense and defense, we’ll now examine how each unit can come together and what they’ll look like as a group.

We looked at the offense earlier this week and what it might be able to do under new offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich. Now let’s wrap things up with the defense and how it should look in the 2021 season.

Run defense

Penn State should be strong against the run this season, even though the team has to replace three starters along the defensive front. The departures of Odafe Oweh and Shaka Toney at defensive end and Antonio Shelton at defensive tackle will mean the group has to re-acclimate, with P.J. Mustipher as the only return starter, but that may not be a bad thing for the sake of the run defense.

Oweh and Toney weren’t pushovers against the run, but they weren’t exactly excelling from that standpoint, either. Shelton was stout against the run, but his skill set is easier to replicate as a space eater.

The three replacements on the defensive line could be improvements from that standpoint, especially at defensive end. Adisa Isaac, Nick Tarburton and Arnold Ebiketie are all — at the very least — capable against the run, with Tarburton possessing the kind of size and strength that could allow him to succeed at a high level in that facet of his game.

Shelton’s replacement, which could be Derrick Tangelo or Hakeem Beamon, will be more interesting to watch. Tangelo is much bigger than Beamon and thus would be able to hold up opponents more and occupy blocks. Fred Hansard could also play an important role as a player who can eat up blocks and open things up for the linebackers in the run game, even if he isn’t making many of those plays himself.

The back seven should be an asset against the run for Penn State, and the linebackers especially have the talent to make big-time plays. Brandon Smith, Curtis Jacobs and Ellis Brooks are all good at making plays on the ball in the run game. Smith and Jacobs are excellent athletes who excel at seeing the play develop in front of them. Smith can make mistakes while trying to make splash plays, but has the athleticism to make up for those decisions.

Jesse Luketa will be a bit of a wild card for the run defense — and the defense in general — because he’s practiced at defensive end and his usual linebacker spot this offseason. His size should be an asset at defensive end, while his athleticism and strength would allow him to stand up running backs in the hole as a linebacker.

The last line of defense against the run, the secondary, shouldn’t play too big of a role in how good the unit is in rushing situations, but Jaquan Brisker has the ability to step into the box and make plays while rarely missing tackles. He plays at such a high level against the pass and the run that he’s going to make an impact regardless of the situation.

Pass defense

While the losses of Oweh and Toney should impact the pass rush more than the run defense, it’s hard to envision the Nittany Lions taking a major step back against the pass.

Isaac and Ebiketie should both excel rushing the quarterback, especially Ebiketie. The senior defensive end proved he could get to the quarterback last season at Temple and has the tools to carry that success into Penn State. Combine him with Isaac, and interior rushers like Mustipher, Beamon and Tangelo, and the team should be able to get to the quarterback.

The second level of the defense will give defensive coordinator Brent Pry options if he wants to blitz aggressively this season. Both Smith and Jacobs are high-level athletes who can get to the quarterback and shoot gaps quickly. Smith should be the best blitzer among the linebackers because he has the flexibility to bend around the edge and get by tackles in isolation situations. If he’s given an opening, he should be on the quarterback before they have time to think.

The pass rush should be strong because of Smith and the defensive line, but the secondary should be the strength of the defense this season. Tariq Castro-Fields and Joey Porter Jr. have solidified themselves as high-level outside cornerbacks who should start every game for Penn State this season. Both are long and athletic with the size and physicality to stay with even the biggest wide receivers in the Big Ten.

Freshman Kalen King and incoming transfer Johnny Dixon should be able to make their own impact at cornerback and will give Pry the flexibility to go with multiple substitution packages.

The team’s safeties will be led in coverage by Brisker — who should lead the group in everything this season — and Ji’Ayir Brown. Brown is at his best in coverage and will provide a quality last line of defense against passes deep down the field.

Penn State’s pass rush and secondary should make for an excellent pass defense in 2021.

Outlook

Pry and the defense shouldn’t be in question all that much this season. He’s continually produced units that are among the best in the country and have the versatility to succeed against the run and the pass. He has quality depth at plenty of spots and could use that to his advantage this season. This will be a good opportunity to continue proving himself as a high-level defensive coordinator by showing he can be creative when he has tools at his disposal.

The group as a whole should be one of the best in the Big Ten and one of the top 15-20 in the country by the end of the season. For all of the struggles Penn State could have on offense this season, that’s unlikely to be the case on the other end of the field and this defense could carry the NIttany Lions in 2021.

This story was originally published July 31, 2021 at 10:57 AM.

Jon Sauber

Centre Daily Times

(814) 231-6461

Jon Sauber covers Penn State football and men’s basketball for the Centre Daily Times. He earned his B.A. in digital and print journalism from Penn State and his M.A. in sports journalism from IUPUI. His previous stops include jobs at The Indianapolis Star, the NCAA, and Rivals.