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Penn State Football’s Three Biggest Question Marks Headed Into The 2023 Season

By Morgan Chapman

STATE COLLEGE, PA - APRIL 15: Adisa Isaac #20 of the Penn State Nittany Lions takes the field before the Penn State Spring Football Game at Beaver Stadium on April 15, 2023 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
STATE COLLEGE, PA - APRIL 15: Adisa Isaac #20 of the Penn State Nittany Lions takes the field before the Penn State Spring Football Game at Beaver Stadium on April 15, 2023 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
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The Interior Defensive Line

PASADENA, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 02: Zane Durant #28 of the Penn State Nittany Lions celebrates sacking Bryson Barnes #16 of the Utah Utes during the fourth quarter in the 2023 Rose Bowl Game at Rose Bowl Stadium on January 02, 2023 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 02: Zane Durant #28 of the Penn State Nittany Lions celebrates sacking Bryson Barnes #16 of the Utah Utes during the fourth quarter in the 2023 Rose Bowl Game at Rose Bowl Stadium on January 02, 2023 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /

Everyone knows that Penn State has a loaded group of defensive ends coming into the 2023 season. Chop Robinson, Adisa Isaac, Dani Dennis-Sutton, Amin Vanover, etc. The area that needs to prove that they are ready to take that next step is the interior defensive line, specifically at defensive tackle.

With PJ Mustipher off to the NFL, the Nittany Lions are going to need guys like Hakeem Beamon, Zane Durant, and others to step up in that leadership role for the group. Inserting a guy like Deion Barnes as the defensive line coach will help with game preparation, but in general, this group has a lot of pressure on their shoulders.

The ability to stop the run all starts with the defensive tackles, and we all remember that Michigan game last season. Zane Durant flashed during his freshman year in 2022, can he play at a high level consistently? Hakeem Beamon has put on more weight this off-season and he is now up to 284 lbs according to the Penn State athletics official roster. This is huge as the team expects a lot from him this upcoming season. They also added Old Dominion transfer Alonzo Ford this offseason, Dvon Ellies, and Coziah Izzard will be in the rotation at this position as well.

This is a group that has a lot of talent, they just need to find that steady rotation and prove that they can anchor the defensive line against the superior run-heavy teams in the Big Ten.

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