Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1486024
D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 2 3 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M At the forefront of that evolution, sophomore Chop Robinson has climbed the chart into becoming Pro Football Focus' top- graded defender on the defensive side of the ball for the Nittany Lions. Among the team leaders in tackles for loss (8.5) and sacks (4), the Maryland transfer has consistently created havoc in the backfield. In addition, redshirt junior Adisa Isaac continued his highly productive comeback season after missing the 2021 campaign due to injury. Isaac leads the team in hurries (8) and is second in tackles for loss (9) heading into bowl season. Those players and their backups have helped turn what had been an early-season concern into an area filled with optimism moving forward. Linebackers The arrival of true freshman Abdul Carter has been the big story here. An instant-impact performer, Carter has backed up his high- light reel abilities with something maybe even more impressive: dependability. He's become the kind of player whom the coaching staff can rely upon in almost any situation. "His missed assignments are going down every single week," Franklin said. "That gives you a lot more confidence that you can put him in there. You're not only going to get the good plays, but the plays that we have to eliminate are [declining]. "He's always been super mature. He's very smart. He's taken the right approach since he stepped on campus." That approach has paid big dividends. Carter is one of the team leaders in tackles (55), tackles for loss (10.5), sacks (6.5), pass breakups (4), quarterback hurries (5) and forced fumbles (2). Though perhaps overshadowed by Carter's quick rise, the team's middle linebacker twosome — redshirt sophomore Tyler Elsdon and redshirt freshman Kobe King — have taken big steps forward in their consistency and playmaking. Against Indiana, with Elsdon having to leave early due to an injury, King finished atop the team tackle sheet with 8 stops, in- cluding 2.5 tackles for loss. He topped the leaderboard again two weeks later, finishing with 6 tackles against Rutgers. The takeaway for the Nittany Lions has been a dose of stability at a position group previously shrouded in uncertainty. "You're starting to see Kobe and Elsdon do that at linebacker," Franklin said. "But coming into the season, we didn't know how that was going to be." Secondary Franklin made certain to clarify following the Nov. 12 clash with Maryland the reason why redshirt junior cornerback Joey Porter Jr. had missed the game. "Joey had appendicitis. That's what happened," Franklin told reporters the following Tuesday. "I wouldn't release any medical information without clearing it with the family first, but I don't like the fact that there has been some misreporting out there. I don't really understand how that happens. It did, so I wanted to clear it up." It's not that Porter wasn't missed; the projected first-round NFL Draft choice is likely on his way to becoming the first Nit- tany Lion off the board next April. Still, the performances in the secondary weren't demonstrably different in his absence. Stepping up at cornerback, sophomore Kalen King and junior Johnny Dixon both secured interceptions in Penn State's Novem- ber slate. King has graded out second by PFF among the major defensive contributors this year, while Dixon was at his best in the final month of the regular season. Meanwhile, at safety, Penn State has worked to develop several younger players, eyeing a future in which ball-hawking super senior Ji'Ayir Brown is off to the NFL. Sophomore Jaylen Reed and redshirt freshman Zakee Wheatley both saw action in all 12 regu- lar-season games, and while that was helpful in itself, what made their appearances especially noteworthy was that the coaches managed to work them into the rotation without depriving Brown of the playing time he needed in order to be a difference-maker. "I don't think he's getting enough attention. I don't think enough people are talking about him when it comes to college football awards, when it comes to the NFL," Franklin said. "His name should be all over the place. He's playing his tail off. He makes his teammates better. He's able to impact the game both in the run game and in the passing game, so he's a very well- rounded football player." ■ Super senior safety Ji'Ayir Brown had a 70-yard scoop-and-score touchdown against Rutgers, one of many big plays he's made this season. "He's playing his tail off," coach James Franklin said. "He makes his teammates better." PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE