Penn State has had three different defensive coordinators over the past three years. Manny Diaz left for the head coaching job at Duke last offseason after two years in Happy Valley, and he was replaced by Tom Allen. Then, following Penn State’s College Football Playoff Semifinal loss to Notre Dame, Allen left for a raise at Clemson, and James Franklin swung big to poach Jim Knowles away from Ohio State.
Knowles is easily one of the best defensive coordinators in the sport, and that’s a significant carrot for high school recruits, but another important reason that the constant turnover hasn’t turned off talented prospects is defensive backs coach Anthony Poindexter.
Poindexter filled in as the interim DC for the 2023 Peach Bowl against Ole Miss after Diaz’s departure, and his name has been floated for the DC job each of the past two offseasons. Despite not landing the promotion, Penn State’s safeties coach and co-defensive coordinator has remained an elite recruiter and an invaluable member of the staff.
Penn State lands commitment from 2026 3-star safety Darrell Carey
Penn State’s 2026 recruiting class ranks top 10 in the country and just added its 11th member on Wednesday with the commitment of three-star safety Darrell Carey out of DeMatha High School. Carey joined four-star safety Matt Sieg in the 2026 class and was effusive in his praise of Poindexter.
“A lot of coaches tell you what you want to hear.” Carey told BlueWhiteIllustrated’s Ryan Snyder after committing to the Nittany Lions, “Coach Dex always keeps it real. He’s been consistent with me for a year now. He’s the kind of coach I’ve been looking for.”
Carey had narrowed his finalists down to Penn State, Maryland, Oregon, South Carolina, and Texas A&M, so he was a significant recruiting win over multiple Big Ten rivals. Poindexter continues to add to his talented group of safeties and will look to turn another DeMatha product into an NFL draft pick.
Kevin Winston Jr. will likely be selected on Day 2 of next week’s NFL Draft in Green Bay, despite the talented safety missing nearly all of his junior season. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Carey will look to follow a similar trajectory to the league under Poindexter, though hopefully one with better health along the way.
With so much turnover on the defensive side of the ball, Penn State’s constant influx of talent has allowed the Nittany Lions to be consistently great on that side of the ball. Poindexter and defensive line coach Deion Barnes deserve a lot of that credit as two of the program’s most important recruiters, and the combination of Sieg and Carey in the 2026 class is just another feather in Poindexter’s cap.
With his impressive track record, Franklin may not be able to hold onto the College Football Hall of Famer for much longer before he’s poached to become a defensive coordinator for the second time in his career. But, until that day comes, Penn State fans can count on quality safety play and consistent defensive back recruiting in Happy Valley.