At least Drew Brees turned out to be a good NFL player!.
Editor's Note: Back by popular demand, the Craigmissioner is back with part deux of the PSU season preview. Once again, he's chasing down the scoop on our Nittany Lions, with today's piece focusing on the defense. Maybe one of these days he'll actually do a game-by-game break down like I asked him to do in the first place. Or maybe not! Enjoy.
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PSU Defensive Season Preview – By the Commander
Now that we’ve covered the offense surrounding Joe Paterno’s 42nd campaign, let’s have a look at the defense.
Tom Bradley has silenced critics that emerged during the dark years of Penn State and fielded his 3rd nasty defense in a row last season. This year figures to be more of the same with a unique combination of youth and experience highlighting this year’s unit.
Key losses: - Paul Posluzny, LB, 2nd round pick of the Buffalo Bills (34th overall) left dear old state as the all-time leader in tackles. He was a two-time All-American and the first junior captain at PSU since 1967. What he lacked in physical ability, he made up for with pure instincts and supreme football knowledge. It’s never easy to replace a player that will go down as a top 5 all-time linebacker at Linebacker U. Look for a three-way battle between RS Fr Navarro Bowman, RS So Jerome Hayes and RS Junior Tyrell Sales to fill the third LB position.
The Defensive Line: Jay Alford (3rd round pick, New York Giants); Tim Shaw (5th round pick, Carolina Panthers); and Ed Johnson anchored a line that finished second in the Big 10 in sacks and caused havoc for opposing QBs and RBs all season with 30 tackles-for-loss. All three will be difficult to replace.
Key Retunees: - Dan Connor, SR, MLB, will shift inside and take over for Posluzny. This is a similar move to Posluzny moving inside for ’06. The difference is Dan’s natural position is at the middle backer spot. Connor is only 98 tackles away from breaking Paul’s tackle record just a year later. Barring injury, he should easily pass it having amassed 113 stops in 2006. Look for Connor to be named a captain as one of only 5 seniors on the entire squad. He’s on the watch list for just about every major defensive award out there.
Sean Lee, JR, OLB, continues his own assault on the Penn State record books. He totaled 90 tackles as a sophomore and filled in admirably for an injured Posluzny in the 2006 Orange Bowl against Florida State. Lee is fast and aggressive and will be a force both rushing the passer and dropping into coverage. His one interception last year was a doozy, as he dove out of bounds to snare a ball and still kept both feet in play. Look for Lee to be all over the field this fall.
Maurice Evans, SO, DE, got a ton of PT last year as a freshman. Added weight and a non-stop motor will make him tough to stop. He anchors a defensive line fraught with massive talent and relatively little experience. The season could hinge on the young line’s ability to disrupt the QB. Expect major contributions from RS Jr Josh Gaines (DE) and sophomores Abe Koroma (DT); Phil Taylor (DT); Ollie Ogbu (DT); Jared Odrick (DT); Aaron Maybin (DE); and Tom McEowen (DT).
Nearly the entire secondary is back, highlighted by future 1st round draft pick Justin King. Though he only had one interception, King shut down three All-American receivers last year in Ted Ginn, Jr., Robert Meachem and Jeff Samardzija, allowing them each just over 39 yds/game. Along with King, cornerback Tony Davis returns and shifts to the safety position vacated by graduated Donnie Johnson. Sophomore AJ Wallace, an ace in the return game and explosive offensive threat takes over at left cornerback. Free Safety, Anthony Scirrotto returns a year after leading the Big 10 in interceptions with six. Though his future with the team is somewhat in question following an off-season, off-campus brawl, Scirotto will play until his legal status changes. His trial date is tentatively scheduled for October, though the Centre County DA has had trouble coming up with a solid case against Anthony. Cornerbacks Lydell Sergeant, Willie Harriot, Knowledge Timmons and Devin Fentress will vie for the nickelback role.
Defense returning starters: 6
Now that we’ve covered the offense surrounding Joe Paterno’s 42nd campaign, let’s have a look at the defense.
Tom Bradley has silenced critics that emerged during the dark years of Penn State and fielded his 3rd nasty defense in a row last season. This year figures to be more of the same with a unique combination of youth and experience highlighting this year’s unit.
Key losses: - Paul Posluzny, LB, 2nd round pick of the Buffalo Bills (34th overall) left dear old state as the all-time leader in tackles. He was a two-time All-American and the first junior captain at PSU since 1967. What he lacked in physical ability, he made up for with pure instincts and supreme football knowledge. It’s never easy to replace a player that will go down as a top 5 all-time linebacker at Linebacker U. Look for a three-way battle between RS Fr Navarro Bowman, RS So Jerome Hayes and RS Junior Tyrell Sales to fill the third LB position.
The Defensive Line: Jay Alford (3rd round pick, New York Giants); Tim Shaw (5th round pick, Carolina Panthers); and Ed Johnson anchored a line that finished second in the Big 10 in sacks and caused havoc for opposing QBs and RBs all season with 30 tackles-for-loss. All three will be difficult to replace.
Key Retunees: - Dan Connor, SR, MLB, will shift inside and take over for Posluzny. This is a similar move to Posluzny moving inside for ’06. The difference is Dan’s natural position is at the middle backer spot. Connor is only 98 tackles away from breaking Paul’s tackle record just a year later. Barring injury, he should easily pass it having amassed 113 stops in 2006. Look for Connor to be named a captain as one of only 5 seniors on the entire squad. He’s on the watch list for just about every major defensive award out there.
Sean Lee, JR, OLB, continues his own assault on the Penn State record books. He totaled 90 tackles as a sophomore and filled in admirably for an injured Posluzny in the 2006 Orange Bowl against Florida State. Lee is fast and aggressive and will be a force both rushing the passer and dropping into coverage. His one interception last year was a doozy, as he dove out of bounds to snare a ball and still kept both feet in play. Look for Lee to be all over the field this fall.
Maurice Evans, SO, DE, got a ton of PT last year as a freshman. Added weight and a non-stop motor will make him tough to stop. He anchors a defensive line fraught with massive talent and relatively little experience. The season could hinge on the young line’s ability to disrupt the QB. Expect major contributions from RS Jr Josh Gaines (DE) and sophomores Abe Koroma (DT); Phil Taylor (DT); Ollie Ogbu (DT); Jared Odrick (DT); Aaron Maybin (DE); and Tom McEowen (DT).
Nearly the entire secondary is back, highlighted by future 1st round draft pick Justin King. Though he only had one interception, King shut down three All-American receivers last year in Ted Ginn, Jr., Robert Meachem and Jeff Samardzija, allowing them each just over 39 yds/game. Along with King, cornerback Tony Davis returns and shifts to the safety position vacated by graduated Donnie Johnson. Sophomore AJ Wallace, an ace in the return game and explosive offensive threat takes over at left cornerback. Free Safety, Anthony Scirrotto returns a year after leading the Big 10 in interceptions with six. Though his future with the team is somewhat in question following an off-season, off-campus brawl, Scirotto will play until his legal status changes. His trial date is tentatively scheduled for October, though the Centre County DA has had trouble coming up with a solid case against Anthony. Cornerbacks Lydell Sergeant, Willie Harriot, Knowledge Timmons and Devin Fentress will vie for the nickelback role.
Defense returning starters: 6
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