‘I’m about the team.’ Anthony Poindexter talks about Penn State’s pick for DC
Penn State had an unexpected vacancy on its staff in January, and after an extended search it looked like promoting from within was a possible outcome. After all, co-defensive coordinators/safeties coach Anthony Poindexter had been on the staff for four seasons and was primed for a promotion — whether it was at Penn State or elsewhere.
But then the unexpected happened and Jim Knowles decided to leave Ohio State after winning a national title and the Nittany Lions brought him in. Poindexter, despite being a candidate for the position, saw the decision as an easy one for the program.
“Me and (Penn State head coach James Franklin) was in conversation the whole time,” Poindexter said Tuesday after one of Penn State’s spring practices. “When we had a chance to go get Coach Knowles, I was like ‘Coach, we gotta go get him and make our program better.’ He had the No. 1 defense in the country a year ago. Great [defensive] coordinator. I actually have known him down through the years. I was excited for it.”
The co-defensive coordinator put the Nittany Lions before himself in that instance as the program begins a chase for its own national championship next season.
And while he reportedly received a contract extension and pay raise to stay on board with Penn State, the process was never about that for the college football hall of famer.
“I think [Franklin] has always showed he’s valued me,” Poindexter said. “He always did that. For me, I’m about the team. I just want to come here, do my part and help us win. We got close this year, now we’re just trying to get over the top.”
He returns to Penn State to lead a safety room that will look drastically different from the ones in the past four seasons. Those groups were littered with veteran leaders, usually with at least two if not three upperclassmen ready to make an impact.
This year, Zakee Wheatley is the only experienced player in the room — after learning from those before him like Jaquan Brisker, Ji’Ayir Brown, Jaylen Reed and several others. That has been a change of pace for the coach, who said the youth at the position has rejuvenated him in some ways.
“It’s kind of fun,” Poindexter said with a smile. “I can’t remember the last time I had a room like this, and it definitely wasn’t here. I always had a veteran guys, two or three veteran guys that played a lot of football. Each day at practice, I’m just watching the growth. That’s the big thing. You can watch it. You can see them getting better, you go back to the film room, say, ‘Look, man, we talked about this. This showed up on tape. You did it right.’ It’s been good. It’s rejuvenating me.”
Returning an elite backfield
Poindexter’s return will help the defense grow under Knowles, but on offense it’s the returning players who will dictate what the season looks like for the Nittany Lions — especially in the backfield.
Running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, along with quarterback Drew Allar, will all be back for one last go at a national title in 2025. And that chase for a title pushed Singleton to return.
“The reason I wanted to come back was just how the season ended,” Singleton said. “Everybody was upset. I learned everybody, multiple players, that we came in as freshman (together), they were coming back too for a chance to compete for a national championship.”
Still, a wrench was thrown into that plan this offseason when running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider, one of head coach James Franklin’s longest-tenured assistants with the program, left for the same position at Notre Dame. He was eventually replaced by former Temple head coach Stan Drayton, who brings a wealth of experience to the program.
Singleton was surprised by Seider’s departure, but knows that’s a normal part of the sport.
“When I heard the news I was obviously upset,” Singleton said. “But at the same time, stuff like that is gonna happen — at the next level, too. Coaches are gonna leave next year, the following year, whenever. I wish him nothing but the best of luck. But Coach Drayton has been really good.”
Drayton’s addition should help the running backs take the next step and quarterbacks coach Danny O’Brien should be able to do the same with Allar.
The quarterback’s last big play of the 2024 season was an interception that all but sealed the Nittany Lions’ fate in their semifinal loss to Notre Dame in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff. That play could be held against the star quarterback, who is poised to be an early pick in the 2026 NFL Draft if everything breaks right, but once the emotion of the moment died down he and O’Brien processed what happened — and more importantly, why it did.
“He’s very coachable,” O’Brien said about Allar. “Once the emotion kind of died down, you can get into the nitty gritty of your footwork on that play, your eyes, just keeping it simple in the framework of that play. Once all the noise dies down, the emotion, you can see it a little clearer. Then hopefully we can earn our way back there one game at a time.”
Notes and observations
- New runnings back coach Stan Drayton has shown his intensity during the first few practices. He’s been one of the most active people on the staff during the viewing window and was again on Tuesday.
- He has two of the best running backs in the country to work with in Allen and Singleton, and should be able to help them take the next step.
- Wide receiver was once again a focus during practice. Devonte Ross and Kyron Hudson continue to impress more than anyone. There’s plenty of time for things to change before the season starts in late August, but those two look like starters in offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki’s offense.
- Freshman wide receiver Lyrick Samuel, who enrolled in January, has the traits to be a high-level receiver down the road for Penn State. His body control and ability to make difficult catches stands out in practice. He has to add weight and refine the finer points of playing receiver, but it’s easy to see why Penn State wanted him as a recruit. He was only a three-star recruit, but if he hits he has a chance to hit very big.
- Fellow freshman Bekkem Kritza has a long way to go at quarterback. He has some tantalizing traits in his size and arm strength, but he’s a good bit away from reaching his upside.
- Redshirt freshman receiver Peter Gonzalez is moving well after suffering a long-term injury last season. He could factor in for playing time this season if everything breaks right for him.
- CB A.J. Harris and TE Luke Reynolds were not participating during the open window, along with OT Nolan Rucci, OT Anthony Donkoh, DE Dani Dennis-Sutton, LB Tony Rojas, CB Zion Tracy and S King Mack.
This story was originally published April 9, 2025 at 10:02 AM.
