Penn State Football: 5 things to look for in August

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STATE COLLEGE, PA – SEPTEMBER 25: Todd Summers #86 of the Villanova Wildcats carries the ball against Tyler Elsdon #43 of the Penn State Nittany Lions during the second half at Beaver Stadium on September 25, 2021 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

3. Who will be the ‘Mike’ linebacker?

Penn State’s defense has a big hole in the middle of it with starting middle linebacker Ellis Brooks moving on to the NFL.

In addition to Brooks, his primary backup Jesse Luketa is also off to the pros.

Translation: there’s not a lot of experience left on the roster at the middle linebacker spot.

There are two strong candidates for the job: redshirt sophomore Tyler Elsdon and redshirt freshman Kobe King.

Last year, Elsdon played in 12 games, recording 12 tackles. King preserved his redshirt in 2021, but still recorded three tackles.

The truth is, no matter who ends up winning the job, there’s going to be some growing pains. Penn State’s schedule doesn’t really allow for growing pains either, with week one being at Purdue and week three at Auburn.

This is probably the most interesting position battle to keep an eye on during camp this month. LBU is going through a bit of a transition and hopefully these two young players can step up.

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