Penn State Football: Who Will Replace John Reid at Cornerback?

With cornerback John Reid’s injury, the Nittany Lions turn to depth to fill his spot.

Most of you have probably heard by now the big news out of Happy Valley this week. Per Sean Fitz at 247 Sports, Penn State cornerback John Reid suffered a serious knee injury during spring practice this past week. The injury is significant enough that it could cost Reid the 2017 season, although since head coach James Franklin does not comment on injuries, nothing has been confirmed yet.

Regardless, it does seem highly likely that Reid will miss at least a good portion of the 2017 campaign. It’s a significant blow to the Nittany Lion defense as Reid is one of the best corners in the Big Ten. He certainly can’t be replaced, but Penn State has the luxury of depth at the position. Let’s take a brief look at a few guys that could step up in Reid’s absence.

Senior Christian Campbell

Cornerback Christian Campbell is the most obvious choice to fill Reid’s spot. Campbell has played for the Lions since his freshman year in 2014 so he should be quite familiar to fans. Last season he made twelve appearances and two starts filling in for an injured Grant Haley. In 2016, he made 30 tackles, had 5 passes defensed, and had an interception against Purdue. He definitely has the most experience of the choices here, but plays a different style than Reid.

Redshirt Junior Amani Oruwariye

More from Victory Bell Rings

Amani Oruwariye redshirted his freshman year at Penn State and played mostly special teams in 2015. Last season, he had played more in the secondary. He appeared in 11 games, recording 23 tackles. He’s probably most known for returning an interception 30 yards for a touchdown against Akron in the home opener last year. Oruwariye will need to step up and should get more opportunities this season.

True Freshman Lamont Wade

Reid’s injury is disappointing, but it may just open the door for freshman Lamont Wade. Wade was the Lions top ranked recruit in the 2017 class and had the benefit of enrolling early in January. He has all the skills to succeed at corner despite his five-foot-nine height. How fast he comes along in spring and fall practices will determine how much playing time he earns. With his skill-set, it’s possible that Wade replaces Reid as the primary punt returner.

Next: Penn State Football: Nittany Lions Have Best Backfield in the Nation

Redshirt Freshman Zechariah McPhearson

Zechariah McPhearson took a redshirt his freshman year and figures to be in the mix for playing time this season. Like Lamont Wade though, much is unknown about him to this point. McPhearson was a four star recruit in the 2016 class and hopefully we’ll get to see more of him in the Blue White game in a couple weeks.

Home/Penn State Football