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Penn State Football: post-spring reasons for optimism for the Nittany Lions

By Nick Kreiser

STATE COLLEGE, PA - SEPTEMBER 25: Parker Washington #3 of the Penn State Nittany Lions carries the ball against the Villanova Wildcats during the first half at Beaver Stadium on September 25, 2021 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
STATE COLLEGE, PA - SEPTEMBER 25: Parker Washington #3 of the Penn State Nittany Lions carries the ball against the Villanova Wildcats during the first half at Beaver Stadium on September 25, 2021 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
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MADISON, WISCONSIN – SEPTEMBER 04: PJ Mustipher #97 of the Penn State Nittany Lions reacts to a defensive stop during a game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium on September 04, 2021 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MADISON, WISCONSIN – SEPTEMBER 04: PJ Mustipher #97 of the Penn State Nittany Lions reacts to a defensive stop during a game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium on September 04, 2021 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /

The ‘core four’ of the defense

PJ Mustipher, Curtis Jacobs, Ji’Ayir Brown, and Joey Porter Jr. – all four are among the best at their position in the Big Ten, and all four are going to be highly impactful for this Penn State Football team.

At defensive tackle, PJ Mustipher is an excellent run-defender, and that showed in his absence in the second half of the season. Against some of the great offensive linemen and running backs in the Big Ten, having Mustipher to anchor the interior of the defensive front is a huge asset for the Nittany Lions that can help them win a lot of battles in the trenches.

Moving back to the second level, Curtis Jacobs showed us last year that he can be yet another great linebacker at LBU, and his move to a box linebacker position this year will allow for him to be even more of a factor, making a huge impact on an otherwise thin linebacking corps.

It will be tough to replicate the excellence of last year’s secondary, which was one of the best in Penn State Football history, but with Ji’Ayir Brown and Joey Porter Jr. out there, they have a chance to match that.

Combine Brown’s range and ball skills at safety with Porter’s length and toughness at corner, and you’ve got yourself one of the better defensive backfield duos in college football.

All four of these stars are future NFL Draft picks, and having the four of them out there leading Penn State’s defense in 2022 could be a recipe for them to once again be one of the better defenses in the country.

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