Top Penn State Defensive Players to Watch Saturday Night

Five Nittany Lions, with a bonus mention, that fans might want to be aware of when the Buckeyes are on offense.

Here is a quick glance at the most important Penn State defensive players to keep an eye on come Saturday evening:

Shaka Toney (Senior, DE)

A 6-foot-4, 250-pound monster off the edge, Toney earned second team All-Big Ten last fall and holds PSU's single-game record with four sacks (all in the fourth quarter) in a 2018 game vs. Indiana. He continued dominating the Hoosiers last week with a team-high seven tackles, two of those being sacks.

Joey Porter Jr. (Freshman, CB)

The redshirt freshman was solid in his first-career start last week, making five tackles (one for loss) to go along with a pass defended. His father was a 13-year NFL veteran that made four Pro Bowls in Pittsburgh.

Ellis Brooks (Junior, LB)

Tasked with helping offset the void left by star linebacker Micah Parsons, he played in 26 college games prior to this season but his made first start last week. Brooks made five tackles at IU, including one behind the line of scrimmage.

Lamont Wade (Senior, FS)

The returning All-Big Ten selection had an interception against Indiana (above), but also made a critical mistake fielding a kickoff in the second quarter... which led to points for the Hoosiers. He stands just 5-foot-9 and weighs 185 pounds, but can really play.

Tariq Castro-Fields (Senior, CB)

The veteran is approaching 40 college games played and garnered third team All-Big Ten as a junior, when he led PSU with eight passes defended and a pair of interceptions. He was sixth on the team in tackles last fall and made five in the opener.

BONUS MENTION:

Jayson Oweh (Sophomore, DE)

A top-five player at his position in the 2018 recruiting cycle, he stands 6-foot-5 and tied for third on the team in sacks (5) last season. He was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week following a strong outing at Michigan State.

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