Penn State Football Q&A: What Do We Know About the Nittany Lions?

Who is Penn State's early MVP? Who is poised for a breakout? Taking inventory of the Lions' 5-0 start.

Penn State is a little less than halfway through its regular season and really just getting started in the Big Ten schedule. But with the bye week gone, and Massachusetts on deck, let’s take inventory of the Nittany Lions through five games.

Who is Penn State's Early MVP?

Declaring an MVP through five games is difficult, as a number of Penn State’s defensive players have contributed to the unit's extreme dominance. From a big-picture view, including true performance and glue-guy personality, my answer might be a little surprising. I’m going with linebacker Dom DeLuca.

DeLuca does a little bit of everything for Penn State and has been doing all of it well so far. He’s in the defensive top five with 13 tackles, three tackles for loss, two pass breakups and two forced fumbles. DeLuca also has a sack and an interception, which he returned for a touchdown. Those stats complement his presence on special teams, which earned him the No. 0 jersey and a captain's nomination. The walk-on-turned-scholarship-recipient has been one of the best stories on Penn State’s roster since last season and continues to back it up with his play.

I’ll give well-deserved honorable mentions to fellow linebacker Curtis Jacobs and defensive end Chop Robinson. Jacobs leads the team with 18 tackles and has flown around the field the past few weeks. Robinson has had a statistically quiet season for his standards but has been a force in creating pressure and opportunities for his teammates.

Penn State linebacker Dom DeLuca returns an interception for a touchdown against Delaware :: William Bretzger/USA Today Sports

Who Needs to Step Up for Penn State?

As the MVP section named only defensive players, you can guess we’ll talk about offense here. The most obvious answer is Nicholas Singleton, who really has not lived up to the preseason hype after his breakout freshman campaign. Kaytron Allen has similarly missed out on big plays, but his 4.4 yards per carry is an encouraging sign considering he’s known more as the bruising runner.

Penn State's offensive line probably has been the No. 1 factor in Singleton’s early struggles. It’s weird to say, though, because the line hasn’t been bad by most measures. It protects Drew Allar at an elite level, allowing just three sacks, and leads an offense that sustains drives much more consistently than in years past.

The line just isn’t dominating people in the run this year because more is needed from Allar and his receivers down the field. Therefore, Singleton hasn’t had huge running lanes. I’d like to see offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich work to get the ball in Singleton’s hands on the edge and in space more often, whether that comes in the passing game or on stretch runs. 

Mark the passing game as a close second for needed improvement. Allar has been sharp and careful with the ball, but there’s just a little bit more left on the field in terms of chunk plays of 15-plus yards. A big part is the receiving corps that’s still trying to find some answers.

Which Penn State Coach Is in the Groove?

Defensive coordinator Manny Diaz absolutely is in a groove with creative blitz packages and an overall unit that ranks first nationally in total defense. But let’s dive into some less-obvious answers for this section on Penn State’s coaching staff. I’ll go with a pair of picks: cornerbacks coach Terry Smith and offensive graduate assistant Danny O’Brien.

Smith deserves tons of credit for the job Penn State has done on the recruiting trail the past few years, especially as he plays a huge role in the Lions regaining dominance in Pennsylvania, especially Philadelphia. His on-field work is sharp, too, as Kalen King and Johnny Dixon have easily been one of the best corner duos in the nation. 

Daequan Hardy and Cam Miller are consistent contributors at high levels, Elliot Washington and Zion Tracy are high-potential freshmen and Smith has a positional unit worth raving about. He said earlier this season that he plans to retire at Penn State, so coach James Franklin and Nittany Lion faithful should rest easily.

O’Brien is the deep cut here but consistently earns praise for his work in Penn State’s quarterback room. Partially because of his confidence in O’Brien’s sideline presence, Yurcich switched to calling plays from the booth after coaching from the field during his first two years. O’Brien played under Franklin at Maryland and has been an impactful addition to the offensive staff. He deserves some credit for Allar’s steady start to his career.

Fourteen years ago, I recruited and coached @DannyOBrienQB. As a redshirt freshman, he was voted ACC Rookie of the Year. Two years ago, he joined our staff as an analyst & now serves as a graduate assistant. His future is bright & I am proud to be part of his journey. #WeAre pic.twitter.com/jsLJ7L6d8y

— James Franklin (@coachjfranklin) September 13, 2023

Will Penn State's Offense Actually Feature Beau Pribula More?

It seems like Franklin has hinted at an offensive package involving quarterback Beau Pribula almost every week this season. His running ability has been on full display late in games, as Pribula surprisingly leads the team in yards per carry and has the longest rush of the season at 21 yards. We have no idea if the package actually exists, though.

Penn State could use Pribula similarly to how it deployed Will Levis years ago as a short-yardage quirk. Until that happens, I have no reason to believe such a package is being considered as more than mind-game fodder by Franklin toward opponents. I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest, however, if Pribula appeared in a big spot against Ohio State or Michigan. Maybe Yurcich is just keeping it deep in his bag of tricks.

Which Nittany Lions Are Poised for a Second-Half Breakout?

To wrap up, let’s highlight two players primed for second-half breakouts. Offensively, I’ll go with wide receiver Dante Cephas. Defensively, I’ll take linebacker Kobe King.

Cephas has yet to make a profound impact on the offense after transferring from Kent State but has a catch in all five games and has started to see the field more. His decorated career as a Golden Flash proves Cephas has the talent to make some noise. Cephas has just taken time to adjust to the Big Ten playbook and competition. I think he’ll start to separate himself in a crowded receivers room as he gets more comfortable with Allar.

King won the starting job at middle linebacker this offseason while Tyler Elsdon dealt with a minor injury. Diaz said during the bye week that confidence and understanding of the scheme were the only things holding King back to this point, adding that he thought Northwestern was King’s best game with two tackles for loss and a sack. I’m anticipating King will be a key cog for Diaz down the stretch, especially against Ohio State, Maryland and Michigan.

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Max Ralph is a Penn State senior studying Broadcast Journalism with minors in sports studies and Japanese. He previously covered Penn State football for two years with The Daily Collegian and has reported with the Associated Press and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Follow him on Twitter (X) @maxralph_ and Instagram @mralph_59.

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