Good News for Penn State's Defense

Safeties Ji'Ayir Brown and Jonathan Sutherland will return in 2022.

Penn State's secondary will carry a veteran presence in 2022, as two seniors announced plans to return.

Safety Ji'Ayir Brown, who led the team with four interceptions and returned one for a touchdown, will return to the secondary next season. Brown said that he plans to play his final season of eligibility for the Lions in 2022. In addition, three-year captain Jonathan Sutherland, a safety and special-teams player, will return for his sixth year of eligibility.

Penn State's defense certainly will benefit from their returns, particularly since it is losing linebackers Brandon Smith and Ellis Brooks, who have opted out of the Outback Bowl.

"After sitting down and exploring all of my options about my future with my family, I am confident with my decision to remain at Penn State alongside my brothers for another year," Brown wrote in a social media post. "I look forward to learning, growing and developing more as a player, a student and a man."

pic.twitter.com/7MkhOEAdVN

— Ji’Ayir Brown (@_Tiig2) December 21, 2021

Brown, named third-team All-Big Ten by conference coaches, began his starting career with a victory-clinching interception at Wisconsin. He also returned an interception 87 yards for a touchdown against Maryland.

Brown became the first Penn State player with four interceptions and two fumble recoveries in a season since Alan Zemaitis in 2005. Zemaitis currently is on Penn State's recruiting staff.

Brown will follow a similar path to that of Brisker, with whom he consulted on the decision. Both played at Lackawanna College and had the opportunity to leave Penn State for the NFL after one season as a starter.

But like Brisker, Brown chose to return for another year. Brisker turned his second season as a starter into an All-American campaign, something Brown hopes to do in 2022.

"It's playing a big role in my decision-making process," Brown said at Penn State's bowl media day Dec. 17. "I like what Jaquan did as far as when he came back and how he improved his game. He's been a great guide for me as a player. I got to learn run fits from him and coach Dex [safeties coach Anthony Poindexter], I learned how to play the tempo of the game, how to disguise and stuff like that.

"So he has been a tremendous guide for me in taking steps forward in college football, and I continue to lean on him for guidance and continue to be there for him as well in his next steps."

Brown added that he has some goals to accomplish next season under new defensive coordinator Manny Diaz.

"Something I want to go into the next season and be able to do is make tackles for loss," Brown said. "The improvement I want in my game is to make tackles for loss and be more aggressive toward the ball. So coach Diaz is definitely a defensive coordinator who's going to help me do that.

"What I'm looking forward to is him being an aggressive coach, calling the game aggressively and not being fearful. That's the kind of coach I respect."

Sutherland, meanwhile, could join quarterback Sean Clifford as a four-year captain. The safety is a versatile player, who can shift to linebacker, and is a core member of the Lions' special teams.

"Since I was 8 years old playing football in Canada, it has always been a dream of mine to make the transition to the states to play at the collegiate level," Sutherland wrote in a social-media message. "To be able to fulfill that dream and play in front of the best fans in the world is a feeling I cannot put into words. My time here at Penn State has developed and strengthened me mentally, emotionally and physically as a man and as a student-athlete."

Romans 8:28 pic.twitter.com/coVFMVtxQs

— Jonathan Sutherland (@jay_suth) December 23, 2021

Penn State plays Arkansas on Jan. 1 in the Outback Bowl.

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