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Penn State Football: Koa Farmer’s pro day forces NFL to take notice

By Collin Wieder

COLLEGE PARK, MD - NOVEMBER 25: Linebacker Koa Farmer #7 of the Penn State Nittany Lions tackles wide receiver D.J. Moore #1 of the Maryland Terrapins in the first half at Capital One Field on November 25, 2017 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
COLLEGE PARK, MD - NOVEMBER 25: Linebacker Koa Farmer #7 of the Penn State Nittany Lions tackles wide receiver D.J. Moore #1 of the Maryland Terrapins in the first half at Capital One Field on November 25, 2017 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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An eye-popping Penn State football Pro Day performance by senior linebacker Koa Farmer had to turn some NFL scouts’ heads.

Players that offer up a diverse skill set usually seem to extend their careers in the NFL.  Whether it’s triple-threat backs that can run, catch and block, safeties that can play linebacker or vice versa or even a guy like New Orleans Saints quarterback Taysom Hill, who can play quarterback, wide receiver, kick returner to special teams gunner. Penn State football’s Koa Farmer falls into the multi-purposed category due to his skills as a safety and linebacker.

Although not seen as a draft able prospect in the eyes of the NFL, Farmer forced scouts to see him as one at Penn State’s Pro Day. At 6-foot-1, 228 pounds, the hybrid player ran with safety speed in the 40-yard dash with a 4.48. He showed linebacker strength bench-pressing 225 pounds 25 times and showed athleticism, leaping 37 inches for his vertical.

In the NFL, there’s a name for the type of player Farmer looks to be and that’s the, “Moneybacker”. Players like Deone Bucannon and Mark Barron brought this position into mainstream thought. They bring a blend of speed and power that can see them be used as an extra linebacker, stay in for pass coverage and also blitz.

Farmer offers that type of skill set. He started his career as a safety before transitioning over to linebacker in 2016. He was productive at times, logging 128 career tackles (99 in the last two seasons), 12.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, four pass deflections and two forced fumbles. He also returned 18 kickoffs his freshman year for 405 yards. On numerous occasions if Penn State football needed a spark, he could create it with a sack, big hit, a return, whatever, he’s a real playmaker.

This past year didn’t turn out the way many expected it would for him. After a quality 2017, he ended up losing some snaps to freshman phenom Micah Parsons but that doesn’t take away from the fact that he had a solid career at multiple positions.

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Before he ever even got to college, he displayed a versatility and athleticism, playing wide receiver, running back and quarterback on offense and safety on defense, so this isn’t something he just started doing. Should he get a shot in the league, he’ll be doing anything asked of him, because that’s the type of player he was his whole career. He can adapt quickly.

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