Penn State depth chart vs. Central Michigan: Defense
The Penn State defense will get one more week of tune-up for the resumption of the Big Ten season this weekend when they face Central Michigan at Beaver Stadium. After two straight blowout victories, make sure you have the official Blue White Illustrated depth chart handy for the game.
Penn State defensive line
Defensive end
46 Nick Tarburton (R-Sr)
44 Chop Robinson (So.)
56 Amin Vanover (So.)
Defensive tackle
51 Hakeem Beamon (R-Jr)
28 Zane Durant (Fr.)
55 Fatorma Mulbah (R-So)
Defensive tackle
97 PJ Mustipher (Sr+)
91 D’Von Ellies (R-Jr)
52 Jordan van den Berg (R-Fr)
Defensive end
20 Adisa Isaac (R-Jr)
33 Dani Dennis-Sutton (Fr.)
94 Jake Wilson (R-So)
Lowdown: Coziah Izzard and Smith Vilbert donned practice squad jerseys on Wednesday, so once again, they won’t be part of the picture on Saturday. Instead we’re placing Fatorma Mulbah and Jake Wilson in their places.
Chop Robinson had a breakout performance against Auburn and may not be the starter at the position, but he is the man at defensive end.
However, expect to see a heavier dose of Penn State freshmen Dani Dennis-Sutton and Zane Durant earlier in the game. Dennis-Sutton has flashed in late-game action and has seen some reps during the first half in the last two games. He may get a healthier dose of activity this week.
Lions linebackers
WILL linebacker
23 Curtis Jacobs (So.)
11 Abdul Carter (Fr.)
42 Jamari Buddin (R-Fr.)
Middle linebacker
43 Tyler Elsdon (So.)
41 Kobe King (So.)
39 Robbie Dwyer (R-Jr)
SAM linebacker
0 Jonathan Sutherland (R-Sr.+)
34 Dominic DeLuca (R-Fr.)
48 Cody Romano (So.)
The lowdown: Over the last two weeks, Kobe King has out-snapped Tyler Elsdon by nine plays, according to PFF. That is partly due to the blowout nature of the previous two games, but King is starting to eat into starting snaps. It’s still premature to declare a flip on the depth chart, but it’s worth monitoring closely.
Penn State secondary
Safety
16 Ji’Ayir Brown (Sr.+)
7 Jaylen Reed (So.)
21 KJ Winston (Fr.)
Safety
2 Keaton Ellis (Jr.)
6 Zakee Wheatley (R-Fr.)
29 Sebastian Costantini (R-Jr.)
Lowdown:
Cornerback
9 Joey Porter Jr. (R-Jr.)
8 Marquis Wilson (Jr.)
24 Jeffrey Davis Jr. (R-Fr.)
Cornerback
3 Johnny Dixon (Jr.) OR 4 Kalen King (So.)
5 Cam Miller (Fr.)
Nickel
25 Daequan Hardy (R-Jr.)
3 Johnny Dixon (Jr.)
The lowdown: Daequan Hardy has struggled so far this season, giving up two third-down conversions in each game. What’s more, they’ve typically been in long-distance situations. Beyond that, Johnny Dixon has been an impact player in the slot and as a blitzer. He’s still a co-starter at field corner, but if Hardy continues to struggle, the rotation might tighten up.
The depth players to know at corner are freshman Cam Miller and redshirt freshman Jeffery Davis Jr. Both should see action this weekend.
