Penn State adapting to life without TE Tyler Warren and with new DC Jim Knowles
Few defensive coordinators in the country have the reputation that Jim Knowles does. The leader of the Nittany Lions’ defense has been roundly praised for his ability to game plan and his in-game play-calling of a complex defense.
But those attributes aren’t just about Knowles. His defense requires players to be fully bought in — and knowledgeable — about what they’re trying to accomplish on gamedays. That’s what makes Knowles special, and it’s only increased as he’s gained experience, which has helped Penn State get closer to where it needs to be.
“He installed the defense at Duke,” Penn State head coach James Franklin said at the program’s local media day at Beaver Stadium and Holuba Hall on Saturday. “He installed the defense at Oklahoma State and installed the defense at Ohio State. No different than anything else, every time you go through this, you get better at it as well. He’s in a really good place. Our defensive staff is in a really good place. I think we are pretty far along, but it’s still Day 3.”
The defense will go as far as the personnel can take it, even with an excellent scheme and gameplan. And the good news for the Nittany Lions is they have some of the best players in the country at some of the most important positions. Defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton is an elite pass rusher. Defensive tackle Zane Durant has a level of power and athleticism most at his position can only dream of. Cornerback A.J. Harris is one of the best corners in the country.
The cupboards are full where it matters most. But there’s even reason to believe that some of the team’s weaker positions will be stronger than anticipated. Take linebacker, where Tony Rojas should be able to improve after an injury-riddled 2024 — and the addition of Amare Campbell could take the position up another notch.
“He’s created another level of competition that we hope we were going to get, but you never truly know until these guys show up on campus — and he’s doing some nice things,” Franklin said. “He’s really doing some nice things. Tested well this summer. He’s explosive. He’s fast. He’s powerful. He’s kind of compact. You guys will see him. He’s not one of those 6-3, 6-4 guys like some of those guys we’ve had in the past. But he can cover ground, and he’s got really good instincts. You can tell he’s played a lot of football and that’s going to be valuable to us.”
And even safety, where Zakee Wheatley returns as one of the best ballhawks in the country, could have improved depth with the amount of talent the Nittany Lions have at the position. That’s where Knowles’ scheme could benefit the team the most, thanks to the versatility he asks of his defensive backs.
“We also have some flexibility a little bit, too, depending how we do things,” Franklin said. “Some of those corners or nickels could play into this, as well, when you sit here and you say, how do we get the best 11 guys on the field? And if our third corner is clearly the next-best player over, maybe, the second or third safety, then we’ve got to decide, how do we get all those guys on the field with the two corners, the nickel and the safety?
“That’s going to be really important. How do we get those five guys on the field and into the best spots?”
Diversifying on offense
The team’s offense is bringing back just as much talent as its defense, but there is a massive caveat — it’s losing an irreplaceable player in tight end Tyler Warren. Yes, the defense lost Abdul Carter, but the group was not solely reliant on him for extended stretches like the offense was with Warren.
“Obviously Ty Warren and our running game, most of our offense was built around those things,” Franklin said. “... If you went into last year, it was stop the run and stop Tyler Warren.”
There is no one-to-one replacement for the former Penn State tight end. Franklin praised Khalil Dinkins for what he brings to the table at the position, and young players like Andrew Rappleyea and Luke Reynolds should help fill the void. But the most likely result is that the offense goes about its business differently in order to make up for the lost production.
The only question is, what will that look like? It could involve additional running back usage or finding more creative ways to get Drew Allar involved in the running game. Or it could be that the team’s most highly-discussed position group, the wide receivers, finally takes a leap forward.
While that last option may draw the ire of Penn State fans who have grown tired hearing the refrain about the receivers being better heading into a season, there’s more reason to believe it can be the case in 2025.
The Nittany Lions added three players from the transfer portal who should all come in and start right away in Kyron Hudson, Devonte Ross and Trebor Pena. Now it’s just a matter of them stepping up. And if they do, the entire offense could change.
“Having threats all over the field that can hurt you, making them defend the 53-and-a-third (yard width of the field), and obviously, the 120 yards (length of the field including the end zones), I think will open up a lot of things for us,” Franklin said. “It will help us in the run game. But it’s valuable. And I think Drew, having more people around him making plays for him will be really valuable.”
Quick hitters
- Wide receiver Kaden Saunders is out with a long-term injury that will likely sideline him for all of 2025. And while Franklin said the injury list is longer than he’d like right now, there aren’t any other additional major injuries at the moment.
- The backup quarterback battle between Jaxon Smolik and Ethan Grunkemeyer has not been decided yet, and Franklin said the competition could continue into the season. If that’s the case, he noted that who the backup is could change from week to week.
- Knowles and special teams coordinator Justin Lustig both mentioned freshman Daryus Dixson as a player standing out thus far in camp. Dixson enrolled in January and could find his way onto the field this fall with a role on defense or special teams.
