Penn State Football: 3 biggest winners from spring practice
Penn State Football ended spring practice and we now enter wait and see mode on whether or not they continue to add to the roster through the transfer portal
With spring practice in the rear view mirror, Penn State Football will be back on the field in three months for fall camp, as we inch closer to the Nittany Lions‘ September 4th season opener at Wisconsin.
We have seen a few position moves and intriguing experiments like Marquis Wilson on the offensive side of the ball, but we are in wait and see mode as to whether or not Penn State Football will continue to add in the transfer portal.
A few players on the roster have benefitted from spring practice, and the players that have come to Happy Valley from the portal this offseason, but also from the players who have not made a new home in State College.
Let’s take a look at three players who have benefitted or are “winners” from Penn State Football’s spring practice this past April:
No. 3. Curtis Jacobs
Second year freshman linebacker Curtis Jacobs looks primed to step into a starting outside linebacker role this fall after the departure of Lance Dixon in the transfer portal.
The six-foot-one and 227 pound backer out of Michigan showed glimpses in his freshman campaign, totaling nine tackles and a half a tackle for loss in limited playing time.
He is a winner of spring practice because when asked about it, coach James Franklin labeled Jacobs a starter if the season was starting today, and as of now, the Nittany Lions have not added through the portal despite being linked to Mike Jones from Clemson earlier this offseason.
Junior Jesse Luketa who started at middle linebacker last season after Micah Parsons opted out looks to be the odd man out as he has not practiced this spring with an injury, and rumors are swirling about a potential move to defensive end for Luketa.
If the rumors come to fruition and Luketa finds a new home along the defensive line, that means the starting linebacking core is presumably Ellis Brooks, Brandon Smith and Curtis Jacobs. After defensive coordinator Brent Pry ridiculed linebacker play last season, it would be no surprise to see this shakeup come week 1.
Jacobs is a fast, athletic linebacker who is built for modern day football and will be much better than Luketa in coverage and going sideline to sideline.