Does Penn State Football Have a Top 10 Defense in 2023?

It’s summertime and as a college football fan, this is the time of year when you become antsy. As a Penn State fan, you begin picturing that opening night game against West Virginia. The smells of delicious food from tailgates, the anticipation for game time, and the roar of the crowd when the Penn State football team runs onto the field for the first time in 2023. Then, you snap back to reality and realize we are still 80 days away from kickoff.

During the summer months, many accounts on social media create lists to rank the various teams and their attributes, position units, etc. I stumbled upon an interesting list yesterday that was posted by On3, this included the ranking of the top 10 defenses in 2023.

ESPN predicts that Penn State will have the 4th best defense in the country in 2023. The Nittany Lions were ranked below Georgia, Michigan, and Alabama respectively. As I read this list it made me start thinking about each position unit and how strong this defense will be.

Before I dive into the position groups and names to be aware of, you have to start with the coaching. Manny Diaz joined the Penn State program after being fired from Miami as their head coach. Many fans of college football wondered if he would be a great fit or not. But, Diaz has been terrific his coaching style is aggressive and his passion is evident on the sideline. We can only hope that Penn State can get him under contract for as many years as possible.

For position groups let’s start with the defensive line, in 2023 this could be the best defensive line that we have seen during the James Franklin era. Not only does Penn State have a scary starting lineup, but they have depth beyond the staters that will allow the defensive line to rotate in fresh bodies without a significant drop-off in production.

https://twitter.com/On3sports/status/1668632641946664964?s=20

The defensive ends are led by potential 2024 1st-round NFL draft pick Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac with Dani-Dennis Sutton and Zuriah Fisher behind them. Then you move to the defensive tackles where you’d expect Zane Durant to make a significant jump in 2023. Coziah Izzard, Dvon Ellies, and Old Dominion transfer Alonzo Ford will be in the rotation as well in that position.

The linebackers are led by Curtis Jacobs and Abdul Carter. They will be the vocal leaders on defense that will hold players accountable. Kobe King and Tyler Elsdon will battle for the middle linebacker position. Finally, you cannot forget about freshman LB Tony Rojas who will find a way to be on the field this season as well.

As far as the secondary goes, they too are led by a potential 2024 1st-round draft pick in Kalen King at cornerback. Johnny Dixon, Daequan Hardy, and Cam Miller will rotate in the secondary each of them made their presence known during the 2022 season.

Finally, you consider the talent at safety. This position room might not be led by a single star player but instead have three to four players who are very talented in their own right. Keaton Ellis, Zakee Wheatley, Jaylen Reed, and Kevin Winston Jr are all capable of tackling and covering at a high level.

So, when considering these off-season lists and how accurate they are I would say I agree that Penn State on paper has a top-five defense in the country in 2023. The veteran leadership on this team that will allow players to coach each other on the field is similar to Georgia’s team during the 2021 season. If they can put the results on the field, Penn State will be in great shape for their 2023 goals.