Penn State Football: 5 key position battles to watch throughout spring practice

Who will replace Jaquan Brisker at safety for Penn State Football?

The Nittany Lions will look to replace one of the best safeties in the country from a year ago in Jaquan Brisker, but who will step up in place of the All-Big Ten performer?

The job likely comes down to two candidates, junior Keaton Ellis, and sophomore Jaylen Reed.

Ellis is the older and more experienced of the two, but much of his experience to this point has come at the cornerback position. Will his game translate to a new, albeit relatively similar position, with continued reps and experience? If so, that might give him the edge over the young sophomore.

As for Reed, he continually saw his snap-count increase throughout his true freshman season, and he showed a lot of potential during that time. However, is he ready to make an impact ahead of a much more seasoned Keaton Ellis?

Don’t expect the competition to start alongside Ji’Ayir Brown to be settled this spring, but these 15 spring practices could be a good indicator of which defensive back is best suited to fill Brisker’s shoes in 2022.