Blue White Game preview: Defensive Line

Penn State usually doesn't lose players early to the NFL Draft, which made it all the more shocking when All-Big Ten defensive ends Aaron Maybin and Maurice Evans decided to go pro following the Rose Bowl. The loss of those two players, particularly Maybin, a mere sophomore, sent chills up Penn State fans' spines. They were supposed to be in Blue and White for at least one more season, if not more for Maybin. And to add insult to injury, the always steady senior Josh Gaines graduated. Now, Penn State has been forced to scramble to build depth at the position.

On the inside, it's a completely different story. Penn State returns probably the best three defensive tackles in the Big Ten: Jared Odrick, Ollie Ogbu and Abe Koroma. They have all worked extremely well together and consistently played both run and pass. If defensive end is the dark spot, then tackle is definitely the bright spot for 2009.

ENDS

• No. 81, Jack Crawford. Sophomore. Starter.

What we already know: A product of England (yes, England) Crawford has gotten nothing but glowing reviews from the coaching staff the last two years. He has great size (6'5" 262) and is said to be very quick off the ball. Crawford appeared in all 13 games last season, logging four tackles and two pass breakups. His teammates have said he's actually just as fast as Maybin was, but with a little more height.

What to expect: It's always tough to root for one side of the Blue White Game. I want the offensive line to do well, but I might be happier if Crawford emerges with a dominating performance. The top aspect of his game I'll look for this weekend is his speed. If he is truly as fast as Maybin, I want to see it.

• No. 44, Kevion Latham. Redshirt Sophomore. Likely Starter.

What we already know: Latham played in eight games last year, finishing with three assisted tackles. He's in the same mold as Maurice Evans, at 6'2" about 250 lbs. Latham supposedly has great speed and agility, which allows him to slip by the offensive linemen. His three years in the program gives him much more experience than it seems.

What to expect: If Latham is in fact like Mo Evans, then I want to see it this weekend. Since he's competing against Eric Lattimore for the end spot opposite Crawford, Latham has to end this spring with a bang. This could be the most interesting race to watch this weekend, as Latham and Lattimore (more on him in a sec) have two very different styles and builds.

• No. 56, Eric Lattimore. Redshirt Sophomore. Possible Starter.

What we already know: Lattimore has fantastic size (6'6" 265) and good speed to go along with it. He recorded seven tackles, one TFL, one sack and a QB hurry in only nine games last year. While some defensive ends like to be smaller than the tackles they go against, Lattimore seems to revel in the fact that he's the same size.

What to expect: Lattimore is still trying to lock up the other defensive end spot, competing against Kevion Latham. While the Blue White Game is not a major factor in determining who gets to play in the fall, it is something the coaches look at. I want to see Lattimore play up to his size this Saturday.

• Others to note: No. 39, Tom Golarz, Senior; No. 51, Jonathan Stewart, Redshirt Sophomore; No. 59, Pete Massaro, Redshirt Freshman.

What we already know: Golarz and Stewart combined for three tackles last year; Golarz in nine games, Stewart in two. Massaro has been described as a solid player, who should push for more playing time this year.

What to expect: These are the guys who really need to play well on Saturday. While none of them have done anything remarkable so far in their careers, now is the time to step up. More likely than not, they will spend most of the game going against the first team offensive line. It should give everyone a pretty good idea as to how deep the defensive ends are.

TACKLES

• No. 91, Jared Odrick. Senior. Starter.

What we already know: Odrick emerged as one of the dominant tackles in college football last season. He started 11 of 13 games, and finished with 41 tackles, nine for loss, 4.5 sacks, three pass breakups, and a huge safety against Michigan. His size (6'5" 305) and ability explode off the ball gives Penn State a rock for the rest of the line to build around.

What to expect: Odrick is probably the least of anyone's worries going into the break. But if I were to look for something on Saturday, I'd say keep an eye on how well he does against Penn State's young offensive line. He's said that it's now more frustrating for him, because the line has gotten better. We'll see.

• No. 95, Abe Koroma. Redshirt Junior. Likely Starter.

What we already know: Koroma played in 10 games last year, starting five. He totaled 26 tackles, two for loss, 1.5 sacks and a fumble recovery. Koroma was suspended for three games after being charged with marijuana possession, along with Mo Evans, prior to the Oregon State game. He worked his way back into the starting spot by season's end. He is a good weight (305) and height (6'3").

What to expect: Even though Koroma was in Joe Paterno's dog house most of the season, his abilities allowed him to work his way back. I want to see him look like an upperclassman leader on Saturday, and set the example for the young guys. The defensive tackles are some of the most experienced players on this team, and Koroma has to live up to that role.

• No. 85, Ollie Ogbu. Redshirt Junior. Possible Starter.

What we already know: Ogbu was played in the regular starting rotation of tackles last season and the year prior. He started nine games in 2008, and could be considered the third starting tackle. Ogbu is a bit smaller (6'1" 289) than most tackles, but he plays much bigger than his size. He registered 17 tackles, 2.5 for loss, two sacks and a QB hurry.

What to expect: Ogbu reminds me of Jay Alford, another Lion (now sporting a Super Bowl ring) who played larger than his size. That's why I'm expecting nothing less on Saturday. It could be a very tight race between Ogbu and Koroma for the most playing time, even though they will both rotate regularly. But someone's got to start, and with a good finish to this spring, Ogbu could earn that spot.

• No. 71, Devon Still. Redshirt Sophomore. Backup.

What we already know: Still has been hampered by injuries, causing him to miss all but three games last year. He did return for the final two, but hasn't yet logged a stat. Odrick himself has said Still can develop into a real force on the line, and has the natural gifts (6'5" 300) to get him there.

What to expect: Still looks to be ready to go, and ready to make up for lost time. I hope so, as I'm really excited to see him perform on the field. He should start for the second team, and going up against the first team offense, I want to see him give them some fits. It will be up to Still to lead the interior of the defense, particularly against the run, which could be significantly featured this year.

• No. 92, Chima Okoli. Redshirt Sophomore. Backup.

What we already know: Okoli played in seven games, notching just one tackle. But the coaches like what he's been doing in practice, and should push for some more playing time this year. He has great size (6'4" 300) for the position, giving him the tools to make a difference along the line.

What to expect: Okoli should contend for one of the top two reserve spots this fall, but he'll be one of the main guys this weekend for the second team.

• Others to note: No. 99, Brandon Ware, Redshirt Freshman; No. 55 Tom McEowen. Redshirt Junior.

What we already know: McEowen has been the victim of injuries and position shifts, but has always remained a team kind of guy about it. He played in seven games last year, logging five tackles. Ware is gigantic (6'3" 350), and Joe Paterno has been on his case to lose the weight, which he's doing. The staff likes his progress, and should see the field this fall.

What to expect: When the third and fourth string guys get onto the field during the Blue White Game, that's when the real action begins. We don't always get to see, or heard about how well these players are doing. This will be our change. Good teams have great depth, and McEowen and Ware are the depth.

• • •

*Note the schedule has changed!

Late tonight...
The Linebackers

Previously...
Monday: Quarterbacks and Running Backs
Tuesday: Receivers and Tight Ends
Wednesday: Offensive line

Next up...
Friday: Defensive Backs, Special Teams.
Saturday night: Report from the game, photos, etc.

*Have something to say about this post? Let your voice be heard, in the ZN Message Forum!

More below the fold...

Syracuse looking for the next Stephfon Green

◊ Hide the women and children. Batten down the hatches. Syracuse just might have hired a head coach with a brain. Well, maybe, but at least he's on the right track.

In a Sporting News article today, Dave Curtis writes about newly-hired Orange(men) head coach Doug Marrone's quest to recruit better in the City of New York. Curtis smartly mentions Penn State's recent success in that state:

"Penn State, led by Brooklyn-raised Joe Paterno, has maintained a decent presence in New York. But there's an opening there for another school, and Marrone hopes he can fill it with the Orange."

Decent presence? Try these names on for size: Maurice Evans, Stephfon Green, and Ollie Ogbu. They're just three names from last season's roster from NYC (Nerraw McCormack and Shane Thompson were the two others). Evans came in much-heralded, but Green and Ogbu were very much under the radar. You want to bet that Marrone sees guys like Green, and knows deep down he can get them to the 'Cuse?

"We're not going to fill all our scholarships with kids from there," [Marrone] said in his office in December. "But we know the area. And we know that even though the talent might not be fully developed, we know there is talent there."

That has Green written all over it. So, Penn State, this is your second warning (the first being Rutgers a few years ago): watch out, because there's another school looking to tap into your recruiting lines.

Think Penn State is really worried? Me neither.

More below the fold...

P.S. I know U., 2008 – Part 3, Defense

I’ll go over the two and three-deep this week for the Penn State offense, defense and special teams. Then on Monday, we’ll look at the coaching staff. This won’t be full of messy stats (even though I do love them, oh so much), but it also won’t be straight opinion. This is just to get everyone in the loop when it comes to the key figures for 2008. Hope you enjoy P.S. I know U., 2008.

As I did in Part 1 and Part 2 , I’ll describe each player in one of three ways - Great, Good, Decent. ‘Great’ indicates that player is a sure starter, and should get all-conference or All-America. ‘Good’ means that player is a solid starter, someone the team can rely on to do the job. ‘Decent’ goes to many of the backups who will see time in the rotations. I figure there isn’t a player on the two or three deep that is below decent, or PSU is in real trouble.

Part 4, Defense - Front Seven

:: Linemen :: [Ends] Maurice Evans, Aaron Maybin, Josh Gaines, Jerome Hayes, Eric Latimore, [Tackles] Jared Odrick, Ollie Ogbu, Tom McEowen, Abe Koroma, Chima Okoli

[Ends]
No. 48. Maurice Evans. [DE, Jr., 6-2/264] – Great. Consensus All-America in ’07, Evans is on his way to PSU history. He’s one of the players I won’t go into with too much detail, as he’s one of the most recognizable players in the nation going into this season. Barring any problems, he should continue his freakish dominance of opposing quarterbacks. 2007: 54 tkl, 21.5 tfl, 12.5 sks, 5 ff, 1 fr.

No. 47. Josh Gaines. [DE, RS Sr.., 6-1/275] – Good. Who doesn’t like Josh Gaines? His humble demeanor off the field is far from his play-making ability on the field. He and Evans frequently flipped positions, constantly keeping opposing offenses guessing. He’s a very productive member of one of the best defensive fronts in all college football. Gaines should be a candidate for post-season honors on the conference level. 2007: 40 tkl, 5 tfl, 2.5 sks, 1 qbh, 1 ff.

No. 5. Jerome Hayes. [DE, RS Jr., 6-2/246] – Great. If it wasn’t for the injuries, Hayes might have become one of the best pass-rushers in the Big Ten. On of the smartest moves this coaching staff has done in a long time is move him from LB to DE, as his speed and strength is just unblockable. In a weird twist of fate for me, when I was in Mt. Sinai hospital last summer, one of the orderlies working with me was Jerome’s father-in-law. Nice guy. 2007: 17 tkl, 3 tfl, 2.5 sks.

No. 59. Aaron Maybin. [DE, JR Soph., 6-4/236] – Good. Maybin burst onto the scene last year when he plowed into Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen. He went on to sub behind Evans and Gaines, eventually earning more playing time when Hayes went down. Maybin was named to several All-Freshman teams, and adds a great deal of depth to the end spot. When he wasn’t at end, Maybin played special teams. He should take a more involved role this fall. 2007: 12 tkl, 4.5 tfl, 4 sks, 1 ff.

No. 56. Eric Latimore. [DE, RS Fr., 6-6/262] – Decent. The coaching staff raved about Latimore all spring, saying his towering stature could help him knock down any pass thrown his way. He starred in both football and basketball in HS, which shows in his good agility to get through blocking schemes. He’ll be a great backup this season. 2007: No Stats Accumulated

[Tackles]
No. 85. Ollie Ogbu. [DT, RS Soph., 6-1/292] – Good. Ogbu was a major factor in coach Larry Johnson’s DL rotation last season. He was also named to several All-Freshman teams following the year, and could very well contend for All-Big Ten honors in ‘08. He’s not the biggest tackle you’ll see, but he is extremely quick and elusive. Ogbu gave teams like Wisconsin, Ohio State and Texas A&M fits when trying to block him. He was a real pleasant surprise last year. 2007: 18 tkl, 10 tfl, 1 sk.

No. 91. Jared Odrick. [DT, Jr., 6-5/308] – Great. Odrick complements Ollie Ogbu in that Jared uses his brute strength and size to over-power the opposing linemen. It was really unfortunate last year when he dislocated his ankle against Indiana, as he was really emerging as one of the outstanding tackles in the Big Ten. He was an Army AA with Evans, A.J. Wallace and the departed Chris Bell. Even with the injuries, he’s played in 19 games the last two seasons, starting seven last year. Odrick should be an unquestionable candidate for All-Big Ten honors. 2007: 16 tkl, 4 tfl, 2 sks, 1 blk’d kick.

No. 97. Abe Koroma. [DT, RS Soph., 6-3/316] – Good. Abe is one of Joe Paterno’s favorite linemen, as he constantly praised his work last season and this spring. It’s almost a shame how well PSU has recruited the DL recently, as guys like Koroma could start for 100 other FBS schools. Luckily for PSU, he’s in Happy Valley, and could become a great member of this DL rotation. He won the Jim O’Hora award this spring, for his exceptional attitude and work eithic. 2007: 7 tkl, 0.5 tfl, 1 fr.

No. 55. Tom McEowen. [DT, RS Soph., 6-4/274] – Decent. McEowen has been bitten by the injury bug during his time at PSU. He first saw action in 2006, but left mid-season. Then, during winter ’07 workouts, he tore his ACL. Amazingly enough, he recovered in time to play last season. I look for Tom to become a key factor in this year’s rotation, as he played in five of the last six games in ‘07. 2007: No Stats Accumulated.

No. 92. Chima Okoli. [DE, RS Fr., 6-4/287] – Decent. You’ll see a lot more of Chima as 2008 progresses. He was redshirted last season, but made some noise coming out of spring practice this year. Okoli wasn’t a super-recruit like some of the others on this line, but he’s had a great work eithic so far, which should guarantee the coaches will find him some time on the field. He’s one of the great “depth” guys coach LJ has to work with. 2007: No Stats Accumulated.

:: Linebackers :: [1st Team] Tyrell Sales (Fritz), Bani Gbadyu (Sam), Josh Hull (Backer), [2nd Team] Navorro Bowman, Nate Stupar, Chris Colasanti, Mike Mauti

[1st Team] (Ed. Note-There are a lot of ‘decent’ grades in the LBs, but that’s only due to inexperience. The talent is definitely there.)
No. 46. Tyrell Sales [‘Fritz’ OLB, RS Sr., 6-2/233] – Good. Sales is one of those guys who works very hard, without much recognition for it. That’s not to say the coaches don’t appreciate him. It’s the fan base that has grown to love its All-American LBs year after year. Sales isn’t Posluszny, Connor or Lee. But he’ll be a major stabilizer on defense this year. He’s played in every game since his redshirt-frosh season (2005), and has 86 tkl, 7.5 tfl and 3 sks over three years. The lone returning starter, Sales’ experience should make a huge impact on an otherwise green linebacking corps. 2007: 50 tkl, 5.5 tfl, 3 sks.

No. 15. Bani Gbadyu [‘Sam’ OLB, RS Soph., 6-1/221] - Decent. Watching Gbadyu come on the last two games against Michigan State and Texas A&M really impressed me. He had some monster stops at East Lansing, even if the rest of the defense didn’t do so well. Reports from practice have him running faster than any other LB, which more than compensates for his lack of size. With so many teams on this year’s schedule running spread-style attacks, Bani’s speed will definitely come in handy. And like Sales, he’s a great student, earning Dean’s List recognition this past spring. 2007: Played 133 snaps; 6 tkl.

No. 43. Josh Hull [‘Backer’ ILB, RS Jr., 6-3/231] - Good. If you thought Gbaydu quietly made a big statement in ’07, take a look at Josh Hull. The coaching staff is falling all over themselves with this guy. He was instrumental in the bowl victory, notching 2 tkl and 0.5 tfl. Hull walked on at PSU, out of nearby Penns Valley HS. Due to the injuries to Bowman and Dontey Brown (no longer at PSU), Hull was officially inserted into the LB rotation prior to the win over Wisconsin, where he had 2 tkl and a pbu. I personally love his size, which will serve him well covering the middle of the field. Plus, he’s continuing the trend of great student-athletes at LB, earning Dean’s List all last school year. 2007: Played 292 snaps; 18 tkl, 1 tfl, 1 pbu.

[2nd Team]
No. 18. Navorro Bowman [OLB, RS Soph., 6-/228] - Decent. Bowman was in Joe Paterno’s dog house for a good long time this year, but could quickly work his way out. He had a great showing in ’07, but a mid-season injury slowed him considerably. The 2005 Maryland Player of the Year, Bowman was part of the excellent ’06 recruiting class. He’s very quick, and has a great nose for the ball, registering a sack, forced fumble, fumble recovery, pbu, and blocked a kick last season. That sort of production is needed without Sean Lee out there. 2007: Played 307 snaps; 16 tkl, 2.5 tfl, 1 sk, 1 ff, 1 fr, 1 pbu, 1 blk’d kick.

No. 34. Nate Stupar [OLB, RS Fr., 6-1/220] - Decent. Nate’s father (PSU), three uncles (PSU) and grandfather (Tenn) all played college football. Stupar doesn’t have one things he’s particularly good at, but is one of the best all-around players at his position. I’m not sure if PSU is doing this purposely, but this guy is yet another fantastic student playing LB. He was named PA Defensive Player of the Year in ’06. I expect him to get a lot of playing time this season. 2007: No Stats Accumulated; recorded 6 tkl in both ’07 and ’08 B/W Games.

No. 53. Chris Colasanti [ILB, Soph., 6-2/232] - Decent. If there’s one guy who reminds me a lot of Posluszny, it’s Chris. He has fantastic size, and almost killed Derrick Williams this spring, leveling a hit so hard, D-Will didn’t get up for a few minutes. But the best part about the former super-recruit is that PSU grabbed him away from his home-state school, Michigan. He was one of only two true freshmen to play at all in ’07, which should indicate what the coaching staff thinks of his abilities. He should emerge as a co-starter in the middle by year’s end. Oh, and as if it wasn’t ridiculous enough, he’s yet another Dean’s List student playing LB at PSU this year, and could contend for Academic AA. 2007: Played 48 snaps; 3 tkl.

No. 42. Mike Mauti [ILB, RS Jr., 6-2/220] - Decent. I’m throwing Mauti in here because he did so well in the Army AA Game, and the coaches wanted to get him on the field so badly, they moved him to safety for the spring game. He may not see the field much this year, but redshirting a guy like this can only guarantee long-term success for PSU at this position. If he does play this year, expect a lot of special teams work. 2007: No Stats Accumulated.

Coming Tomorrow: Part 4, Secondary and Special Teams

P.S. I know U., 2008:
Part 1, Offense
Part 2, Offense (cont’d)

More below the fold...