Five Key Returners on Defense for Penn State Football in 2022

Penn State Football had one of the best defenses in the Big Ten last season, and there are a handful of returning players from that squad that will play a big role in helping the Nittany Lions try to repeat that in 2022.

The Nittany Lions‘ defense lost a lot of talented players to the draft, but they also return a lot of talented players, including the Big Ten’s leader in interceptions.

Along with losing a lot of talented players, they also lost defensive coordinator Brent Pry, who is now the head coach at Virginia Tech. However, James Franklin was able to bring in Manny Diaz, who is one of the better defensive minds in college football, to fill that void.

They also welcome back one of the best interior defensive linemen in the conference, after he missed the back half of last season with an injury, and his absence was certainly noticeable.

Similar to 2021, the depth at many spots on the defensive side of the ball is not ideal, so the starters are going to be expected to play a lot of snaps, and play well.

These are the five returning defensive players for Penn State Football that will play important roles in 2022.

Penn State Football DT – PJ Mustipher

Prior to his season-ending injury in Iowa City, PJ Mustipher was an excellent anchor on the interior of the defensive line for the Nittany Lions. He was able to earn a second-team all-Big Ten selection, despite playing in just five and a half games.

Returning off of his lower-body injury, the senior captain will need to replicate his first-half performance from a year ago.

Penn State Football struggled to stop the run last season, especially once they lost Mustipher, so having him back is important.

The Nittany Lions return Coziah Izzard and Dvon Ellies, who both played substantial time last season and showed some promise as young and inexperienced players. They are great pieces to complement Mustipher, but Mustipher is the x-factor on the defensive line in 2022, especially on the interior.

PJ Mustipher could be the best defensive tackle in the Big Ten in 2022, and maybe even one of the best in the country. The defensive front will go as far as he can carry them, so he will be one of the most important players on defense and on the team in general in 2022.