Projecting Penn State football’s defensive depth chart after spring practice
Fall camp is just under three months away and the first season of the Matt Campbell era at Penn State is taking shape. The Nittany Lions finished up spring ball in April, with a new scheme and coordinators on both sides of the ball. We already examined offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser’s group, so now it’s time to check in on the other side of the ball, led by defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn.
Let’s take a look at our projected depth chart for the defense with the season opener against Marshall looming in September.
Defensive end
Sophomore Yvan Kemajou
Sophomore Alexander McPherson
Redshirt sophomore Max Granville
Redshirt senior Ikenna Ezeogu
Redshirt freshman Dayshaun Burnett
Sophomore LaVar Arrington II
Notes: This group should see a lot of rotation among the top four. I’d expect Kemajou to see the field quite a bit this season as a true edge player, while McPherson could be moved around to multiple spots along the defensive line — as could Ezeogu. Granville excels at getting after the quarterback and will likely be used heavily to do just that, whether that’s as a hand-in-the-dirt defensive end or as a stand-up rusher. Burnett and Arrington are both leaner players who could potentially contribute as pass rush specialists, but both are likely at least a year away from having major roles.
Defensive tackle
Redshirt senior Siale Taupaki
Redshirt sophomore Armstrong Nnodim
Redshirt senior Keanu Williams
Redshirt sophomore Alijah Carnell
Redshirt junior Ty Blanding
Redshirt sophomore Liam Andrews
Notes: This group is substantially larger than defensive tackle groups in recent years at Penn State. Taupaki and Nnodim have both impressed, as has Williams, and all three should be the team’s leaders in reps this fall at defensive tackle. Nnodim in particular is an interesting player because he’s built differently as a player with short arms but immense strength to move opposing lineman. Carnell has some versatility along the defensive front, as does Andrews, and both could play alongside a true nose tackle when the team shifts into a 3-4 defense at times this season.
Outside linebacker
Redshirt junior Tony Rojas
Sophomore Alex Tatsch
Redshirt freshman Cam Smith
Notes: Penn State is going to have two true off-ball linebackers on the field at a time, so only one starter will come from this group. That will be Rojas, who tore his ACL early last season but is well on his way to being ready for the 2026 season. He’s going to get as many reps as he can handle because he’s an asset against the run and in the passing game. Tatsch is also dealing with an injury and that could allow Smith to be Rojas’ backup on the outside — although it’s likely the team would kick one of the inside linebackers, like Brezina, outside first.
Inside linebacker
Redshirt senior Caleb Bacon
Senior Kooper Ebel
Junior Cael Brezina
Notes: Bacon is going to start alongside Rojas and won’t be limited to just playing on the inside. He’s a versatile player who could see time on the edge this season as a pass rusher, which would open the door for Ebel to get reps at linebacker alongside Rojas. Either way, expect to see all three of these players on the field this fall for the Nittany Lions. Lynn is likely to use several different fronts, which will shift how many — and which — linebackers will be on the field.
Cornerback
Redshirt senior Audavion Collins
Sophomore Daryus Dixson
Redshirt freshman Jahmir Joseph
Senior Zion Tracy
Redshirt freshman Xxavier Thomas
Notes: There’s a clear top three on the outside with Collins and Dixson as the starters with Joseph as a backup. And when those players aren’t on the field, it’s highly likely that Penn State bumps Tracy or Thomas to the outside rather than digging further down the depth chart. The good news for the Nittany Lions is that Collins and Dixson should be all-conference caliber players this season, and should be able to withstand a heavy workload at outside corner.
Nickel corner
Senior Zion Tracy
Redshirt senior Jeremiah Cooper
Redshirt freshman Xxavier Thomas
Notes: This is going to be a key piece in Lynn’s defense and that should allow Tracy to turn into a star for the Nittany Lions. He’s a versatile player who can play all over the defensive backfield, but getting him closer to the ball at the nickel spot will be beneficial for everyone. Cooper has similar versatility, but is a smaller player than Tracy. He’s also an option to start at safety if necessary at some point this season.
Safety
Junior Marcus Neal
Senior Jamison Patton
Redshirt senior Jeremiah Cooper
Redshirt sophomore Vaboue Toure
Sophomore Omarion Davis
Redshirt sophomore Ibn McDaniels
Notes: Neal and Patton appear to be the clear top two at safety for Penn State, with Cooper — and even potentially Tracy — as the backups at the spot if push comes to shove. Toure returns as a player with upside who still needs to put it all together, while Davis and McDaniels both transferred in this offseason. McDaniels is fascinating as a defensive back at 6-foot-3 largely because he can play safety or corner at that size. He could find his way onto the field at either spot, but odds are the size will end up pushing him to safety in the long run.
