3 Penn State players who need to get their confidence back against Kent State

Penn State’s home opener in Week 2 against Bowling Green didn’t exactly go to plan. The Falcons gave the Nittany Lions their best shot and it wasn’t until late that Penn State pulled away for a 34-27 win. 

Through two games the Penn State offense under offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki has been a revelation, but defensive coordinator Tom Allen’s defense has left a lot to be desired. Now, after a bye week, the Nittany Lions have a perfect opportunity to work out the kinks on both sides of the ball and rebuild some confidence against the 0-3 Kent State Golden Flashes who are coming off a 71-0 loss to Tennessee.

It’s impossible to know where the confidence level is for any player on the roster, but after less-than-perfect performances in the first two weeks, it’s safe to say that these three players could use a nice dose of it with a bounce-back performance. 

DeLuca is a two-year captain for the Penn State defense, but his role has drastically increased in 2024 with Abdul Carter’s move to defensive end, and so far the returns aren’t great. DeLuca missed three tackles against West Virginia and has allowed seven catches on eight targets through the first two games of the season. 

Understandably, after his missed tackles and struggles in coverage, DeLuca’s snap count dropped against Bowling Green from 42 in Week 1 to 26. Veteran linebacker Tyler Elsdon has been a more sure tackler and safety Zion Tracy has fared better in slot coverage reps, so if DeLuca doesn’t start to show improvement against Kent State he could be phased out of the defense. 

There isn’t much that Omari Evans could do to get bumped down the depth chart considering Penn State’s lack of talent at wide receiver. Still, he gave it his best effort in Week 2 against Bowling Green. Evans caught two of his targets for 34 yards and a touchdown but got flagged for an egregious and unnecessary offensive pass interference that wiped another touchdown off the scoreboard and led to a Drew Allar interception, and dropped one of Allar’s best throws that would have converted a first down on third-and-17. 

Evans has been effective in the Andy Kotelnicki offense and is likely Penn State’s best deep threat, but the Nittany Lions may not be able to survive his mistakes against a better opponent than Bowling Green. Week 4 against Kent State, Evans doesn’t need to have the biggest game of his career, but he needs to play clean football to restore his confidence and the confidence of his quarterback and coaching staff in him. 

Once Kevin Winston Jr. left Week 2 with an injury, Cam Miller was inserted as the full-time slot cornerback with Jaylen Reed returning to his deep safety spot alongside Zakee Wheatley. Bowling Green and sixth-year quarterback Connor Bazelak immediately identified Miller as a weakness, especially against 6-foot-4 230-pound tight end Harold Fannin Jr. 

Miller was targeted six times and allowed six receptions for 51 yards and was called for a penalty. His struggles in coverage against Ole Miss in last year’s Peach Bowl prompted James Franklin to add Jalen Kimber and A.J. Harris in the transfer portal and it’s a good thing he did because Miller continues to lose at the catch point. 

If Winston is unable to go, then it’ll likely be Miller’s job at slot cornerback again, so he’ll have a perfect opportunity to rebuild some confidence with a bounce-back performance against the 0-3 Golden Flashes.