A very well written and thorough article on the situation at LB.... Nice job Tim Owen!!
https://bwi.rivals.com/news/winter-appraisals-linebackers
Tim Owen • BlueWhiteIllustrated.com
@Tim_OwenBWI
LINEBACKERS
KEY RETURNEES ILB:
Ellis Brooks
,
Jake Cooper
, Jan Johnson; OLB:
Cam Brown
,
Brelin Faison-Walden
,
Koa Farmer
,
Brailyn Franklin
,
Jarvis Miller
, Jason Vranic
KEY LOSSES ILB:
Jason Cabinda
,
Brandon Smith
; OLB:
Manny Bowen
NEWCOMERS
Charlie Katshir
,
Jesse Luketa
,
Micah Parsons
,
Nick Tarburton
,
Dae'Lun Darien
*
Cam Brown is in line for an increased role within Penn State's defense during his junior season.
OUTLOOK On the day that Parsons signed his letter of intent this winter, James Franklin announced that the five-star defensive end prospect would begin his Nittany Lion career as a Mike linebacker. It was not just an endorsement of Parsons’ athletic gifts; it was also a reminder of the depth situation at linebacker heading into the 2018 season.
With the Nittany Lions having lost to graduation Cabinda, a four-year starter, and Smith, they are down a pair of MLBs, not to mention their two best tacklers at the position in 2017. Together, Cabinda and Smith combined for 150 stops, and that’s with Smith starting only the final four games after the suspension of Bowen.
Bowen, who had been playing Will LB, was removed from the roster after the regular season, and it appeared that his Penn State career had come to an end. On Dec. 31, he posted a message on Instagram suggesting that he wasn't counting out a return. “This is not the legacy I want to leave for myself at Penn State,” he wrote, adding that, "Mistakes were made. Now from this point on it’s about how I respond.”
But it’s also about how Franklin responds, and there has been no indication whether Bowen will have an opportunity to resume his career with the Nittany Lions. He is not listed on the latest winter official roster and his name is not found in the current student directory.
Bowen’s exit makes Farmer the veteran of this position group, even though the former safety was still transitioning into the Sam OLB spot not long ago. Experience is anything but copious for this group. As an early enrollee, Parsons will get his shot to crack the lineup at arguably the most important position on defense. Classmates Luketa and Tarburton arrive on campus with opportune timing as well. Given the needs across the two-deep with this position group, it's not out of the question that another freshman sees the field in 2018, although the odds trend more in Parsons' favor.
A spot won’t just be handed to Parsons, however. Johnson, who walked on in 2015, has bided his time and has steadily improved. Johnson’s trajectory through his first three years in the program has been reminiscent of Smith’s, another former run-on.
“(Johnson) has really caught our attention,” said Pry, who doubles as Penn State’s linebackers coach. Johnson, Pry added, is a “physical guy who gets the game and is smart.”
Also in the mix at MLB is Brooks, a former four-star recruit who sheds his redshirt. Just as Johnson reminds Pry of Smith, Brooks has skills that are akin to the ones that a younger Cabinda brought to Penn State a few years ago – although it is Luketa who now dons Cabinda's former No. 40 jersey.
“(Brooks) is very bright, very mature and understanding of the game,” Pry said. “He’s a physical player, he’s a very good tackler, so there are qualities of Ellis that remind me of Jason, which obviously is a positive.”
As the elder statesmen of the group, Farmer is set to return to his post at Sam, one more year comfortable and experienced as a LB. Following a similar route to Farmer is Miller, who began his sophomore season as Farmer's primary backup at Sam. But Miller played in only two of the final seven games. Another former safety, he has room to grow before handling a heavier load as a junior.
As Miller saw his playing time decrease, Brown received additional reps at Sam. He was also second-string at Will, so he’s familiar with both spots. That offers Pry some additional flexibility, as the rangy Brown might have the highest ceiling of all the returnees and figures to be a starter at one of the linebacker spots.
While much of the recent buzz surrounding this group has centered upon Parsons, Brown is someone who is entering the prime of his career and has the dynamic skill set to be a breakout LB star for 2018.
There are a few other wildcards to be considered in this group as well. Whether it's due to injury, redshirt or a combination of the two, it's unclear what the coaches can get from Cooper, Franklin and Faison-Walden this season but one or more of them might have to be relied upon to round on the unit.
Franklin and Faison-Walden are coming off redshirts, while Faison-Walden also recovered from a shoulder injury. Practice reviews from their first season on campus were relatively sparse, so it's unclear if either of their development puts them on track for playing time beyond special teams. Cooper, meanwhile, is looking to make his senior season his best one yet, as injuries have forced him to miss at least half of each of the past two seasons. When healthy, Cooper is another candidate to supply depth at MLB. He also has experience at Will. Vranic fits a similar mold with experience at both positions, so options are available, even if they are still relatively unproven.
Incoming freshman Katshir, who projects as an OLB, is a redshirt candidate after undergoing shoulder surgery after his high school season.
*Another newcomer to the group is Darien, who moves over to the defense after playing WR his first two seasons at PSU. He started practicing at LB during bowl prep last winter and the move appears fixed now that he's listed there again on the official roster. Darien's build (6-4/212) is comparable to Brown's from a year ago, so it shows that Pry and the defensive coaching staff value length and range at its OLB spots. The question becomes whether Darien can hone in on the technique needed to become a contributor at his newest position, and that'll start to be answered this spring.
https://bwi.rivals.com/news/winter-appraisals-linebackers
Tim Owen • BlueWhiteIllustrated.com
@Tim_OwenBWI
LINEBACKERS
KEY RETURNEES ILB:
Ellis Brooks
,
Jake Cooper
, Jan Johnson; OLB:
Cam Brown
,
Brelin Faison-Walden
,
Koa Farmer
,
Brailyn Franklin
,
Jarvis Miller
, Jason Vranic
KEY LOSSES ILB:
Jason Cabinda
,
Brandon Smith
; OLB:
Manny Bowen
NEWCOMERS
Charlie Katshir
,
Jesse Luketa
,
Micah Parsons
,
Nick Tarburton
,
Dae'Lun Darien
*
Cam Brown is in line for an increased role within Penn State's defense during his junior season.
OUTLOOK On the day that Parsons signed his letter of intent this winter, James Franklin announced that the five-star defensive end prospect would begin his Nittany Lion career as a Mike linebacker. It was not just an endorsement of Parsons’ athletic gifts; it was also a reminder of the depth situation at linebacker heading into the 2018 season.
With the Nittany Lions having lost to graduation Cabinda, a four-year starter, and Smith, they are down a pair of MLBs, not to mention their two best tacklers at the position in 2017. Together, Cabinda and Smith combined for 150 stops, and that’s with Smith starting only the final four games after the suspension of Bowen.
Bowen, who had been playing Will LB, was removed from the roster after the regular season, and it appeared that his Penn State career had come to an end. On Dec. 31, he posted a message on Instagram suggesting that he wasn't counting out a return. “This is not the legacy I want to leave for myself at Penn State,” he wrote, adding that, "Mistakes were made. Now from this point on it’s about how I respond.”
But it’s also about how Franklin responds, and there has been no indication whether Bowen will have an opportunity to resume his career with the Nittany Lions. He is not listed on the latest winter official roster and his name is not found in the current student directory.
Bowen’s exit makes Farmer the veteran of this position group, even though the former safety was still transitioning into the Sam OLB spot not long ago. Experience is anything but copious for this group. As an early enrollee, Parsons will get his shot to crack the lineup at arguably the most important position on defense. Classmates Luketa and Tarburton arrive on campus with opportune timing as well. Given the needs across the two-deep with this position group, it's not out of the question that another freshman sees the field in 2018, although the odds trend more in Parsons' favor.
A spot won’t just be handed to Parsons, however. Johnson, who walked on in 2015, has bided his time and has steadily improved. Johnson’s trajectory through his first three years in the program has been reminiscent of Smith’s, another former run-on.
“(Johnson) has really caught our attention,” said Pry, who doubles as Penn State’s linebackers coach. Johnson, Pry added, is a “physical guy who gets the game and is smart.”
Also in the mix at MLB is Brooks, a former four-star recruit who sheds his redshirt. Just as Johnson reminds Pry of Smith, Brooks has skills that are akin to the ones that a younger Cabinda brought to Penn State a few years ago – although it is Luketa who now dons Cabinda's former No. 40 jersey.
“(Brooks) is very bright, very mature and understanding of the game,” Pry said. “He’s a physical player, he’s a very good tackler, so there are qualities of Ellis that remind me of Jason, which obviously is a positive.”
As the elder statesmen of the group, Farmer is set to return to his post at Sam, one more year comfortable and experienced as a LB. Following a similar route to Farmer is Miller, who began his sophomore season as Farmer's primary backup at Sam. But Miller played in only two of the final seven games. Another former safety, he has room to grow before handling a heavier load as a junior.
As Miller saw his playing time decrease, Brown received additional reps at Sam. He was also second-string at Will, so he’s familiar with both spots. That offers Pry some additional flexibility, as the rangy Brown might have the highest ceiling of all the returnees and figures to be a starter at one of the linebacker spots.
While much of the recent buzz surrounding this group has centered upon Parsons, Brown is someone who is entering the prime of his career and has the dynamic skill set to be a breakout LB star for 2018.
There are a few other wildcards to be considered in this group as well. Whether it's due to injury, redshirt or a combination of the two, it's unclear what the coaches can get from Cooper, Franklin and Faison-Walden this season but one or more of them might have to be relied upon to round on the unit.
Franklin and Faison-Walden are coming off redshirts, while Faison-Walden also recovered from a shoulder injury. Practice reviews from their first season on campus were relatively sparse, so it's unclear if either of their development puts them on track for playing time beyond special teams. Cooper, meanwhile, is looking to make his senior season his best one yet, as injuries have forced him to miss at least half of each of the past two seasons. When healthy, Cooper is another candidate to supply depth at MLB. He also has experience at Will. Vranic fits a similar mold with experience at both positions, so options are available, even if they are still relatively unproven.
Incoming freshman Katshir, who projects as an OLB, is a redshirt candidate after undergoing shoulder surgery after his high school season.
*Another newcomer to the group is Darien, who moves over to the defense after playing WR his first two seasons at PSU. He started practicing at LB during bowl prep last winter and the move appears fixed now that he's listed there again on the official roster. Darien's build (6-4/212) is comparable to Brown's from a year ago, so it shows that Pry and the defensive coaching staff value length and range at its OLB spots. The question becomes whether Darien can hone in on the technique needed to become a contributor at his newest position, and that'll start to be answered this spring.
