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Penn State Football: will the Nittany Lions get better or get worse at each position on defense?

By Nick Kreiser

STATE COLLEGE, PA - OCTOBER 02: Joey Porter Jr. #9 of the Penn State Nittany Lions celebrates after a play against the Indiana Hoosiers during the second half at Beaver Stadium on October 2, 2021 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
STATE COLLEGE, PA - OCTOBER 02: Joey Porter Jr. #9 of the Penn State Nittany Lions celebrates after a play against the Indiana Hoosiers during the second half at Beaver Stadium on October 2, 2021 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
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STATE COLLEGE, PA – NOVEMBER 20: Kalen King #4 of the Penn State Nittany Lions defends a pass intended for Jovani Haskins #5 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during the first half at Beaver Stadium on November 20, 2021 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
STATE COLLEGE, PA – NOVEMBER 20: Kalen King #4 of the Penn State Nittany Lions defends a pass intended for Jovani Haskins #5 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during the first half at Beaver Stadium on November 20, 2021 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

Cornerback

At corner, Penn State Football will have Joey Porter Jr. – a projected first-rounder by some platforms – returning, and all signs point to the fourth-year defensive back having a big season.

However, they do lose Tariq Castro-Fields to the NFL, and while his experience and consistency will be missed, his replacement has a bright future.

Kalen King – who had a breakout spring as an early enrollee in 2021 and saw a lot of playing time as a backup as a true freshman – is ready to step into the starting lineup and prove to everyone that he truly does have the talent to blossom into one of the nation’s top corners. Even though King is only a sophomore, he saw a lot of reps last season and has more than enough experience to make an impact from the get-go.

Daequan Hardy also returns to the Nittany Lions’ defensive backfield, and will once again play a crucial role for this defense. Hardy thrived as Penn State’s nickel corner last year, and he will once again find himself in that position.

Lastly, Penn State Football has two of their backup cornerbacks also returning from a year ago – Johnny Dixon and Marquis Wilson – both of which will help to provide excellent depth at corner.

With a potential first-rounder at one cornerback spot, a budding superstar at the other, an excellent nickel corner, and a pair of solid backups, Penn State’s cornerback room can be even better than a year ago, which is great news given some of the excellent passing offenses the Nittany Lions will face in 2022.

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