Penn State Football: which players have the most to gain from 2022 spring practice?

Penn State Football linebackers – Tyler Eldson and Kobe King

These two linebackers both find themselves in very similar situations.

Elsdon is entering his third season, and King his second, but Elsdon did not get the benefit of spring practice, or really any semblance of regularity, in the 2020 offseason.

With Jonathan Sutherland moving from safety to strong-side linebacker, and Curtis Jacobs moving to a box linebacker position, that leaves just one starting spot remaining on the second level, which Elsdon and King are likely competing for.

Eldson appeared in just one game as a true freshman in 2020. In 2021, he appeared in 12 games on special teams, but only in five games at linebacker.

He got a lot of time at linebacker against Arkansas in the Outback Bowl due to opt-outs, and recorded a career-high five tackles in the game. That experience against a good SEC team will be valuable for him going forward.

As for King, he only appeared in four games at linebacker in 2021, and he did not play in the bowl game so that he did not lose his redshirt status.

So, they both are relatively close to one another in terms of experience, so they will probably be neck-and-neck throughout spring practice. Every rep is important for the two young linebackers if they hope to earn a spot in the starting lineup this season, and their performances and development this spring will go a long way towards deciding who will get that spot.