Breaking down Penn State Football’s safety room with Ji’Ayir Brown back
Penn State Football got great news Tuesday when safety Ji’Ayir Brown announced he will be returning for the 2022 season with the Nittany Lions
Safety Ji’Ayir Brown announced via his twitter on Tuesday afternoon that he will in fact return and play his final season in 2022 with Penn State Football.
Brown tallied 67 total tackles to go along with four interceptions, five pass breakups, and a forced fumble in 2021. Along with his former Lackawanna Community College teammate Jaquan Brisker, the two formed one of the best safety tandems in the country.
Although he has not yet announced it, it is most likely a safe assumption that Brisker will enter the 2022 NFL Draft, with the only question remaining being whether or he will play in the Outback Bowl on New Year’s Day or forego the bowl game like teammates Brandon Smith and Ellis Brooks.
Getting Brown back in the fold for next season is a huge win for Manny Diaz’s defense as the former JUCO product will bring experience to what should be a very good secondary once again for the Nittany Lions, but also makes for one less body they need to replace next season.
With Ji’Ayir Brown back, lets take a look at potential options to replace Brisker and be the other half of the Penn State Football tandem at safety:
State College native could get his chance
Keaton Ellis
Ellis would be the heavy favorite right now to start alongside Brown at safety on opening day at Purdue in 2022.
The State College native made the move to safety last season after two years at cornerback where he saw significant playing time as a freshman in 2019. Ironically, last year Ellis was moved to safety as Brent Pry was looking for a safety to start opposite Jaquan Brisker before Ji’Ayir Brown won the job and never looked back.
Ellis played sparingly early in the season last year but did come on late in the season getting more game reps at safety. He ended the season with 12 tackles and a pass breakup in seven games.
At 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, he is a little undersized but with his cornerback background, he has natural coverage skills that will translate well to the safety position. He is fast and rangy, however, him and Brown are similar in that they are both more true free safeties, built to play more center field or man coverage.
Neither Brown nor Ellis are built to creep down into the box and make tackles in the run game, which was the role Brisker played so well this past season.
Penn State Football had safeties Enzo Jennings and Tyler Rudolph have both entered the transfer portal this offseason, leaving the Nittany Lions thin at safety on the depth chart.
Because of the losses, expect James Franklin to potentially look to the transfer portal for a fix.
Despite that, having two safeties with excellent coverage skills is not a bad place to be for Penn State Football, especially with two guys who will be in their third season of seeing significant playing time at this level.