Penn State Saturday six-pack: Assessing the Lions' defensive line; recruiting, wrestling, and more

The Blue-White game is one week away, Penn State fans.

Head coach James Franklin and the Nittany Lions are not back on the practice field until Wednesday. But, there is plenty of news to discuss about football, wrestling, recruiting, and more.

Let’s dive into the Saturday six-pack.

1. A thought on the Penn State offense after four weeks of spring practice

We’ve now seen four Penn State spring practices and heard from multiple coaches and players on offense during spring practice. There are many takeaways, but the top one is this: While it’s an overstated talking point, there is simply no question that the Lions will benefit immensely from having Mike Yurcich back for a second season.

The Lions had plenty of turnover in terms of who is in charge on that side of the ball, of course, over the last handful of seasons. But, that’s not the case this spring. It’s good news not just for quarterback Sean Clifford but the entirety of the offense as they look to improve off of a 2021 season that did not meet expectations.

“I’ve always had to relearn an offense or learn a new one,” Clifford said back on Wednesday. “Now, being able to be in the same one back-to-back years, it just makes my job a lot easier.”

It makes everyone’s job easier. That should lead to bigger and better things this fall.

Bonus thought: The offensive line numbers are indeed scarily low, but things should even out by fall camp. However, it is imperative that Penn State makes it through the rest of the spring healthy upfront.

2. A thought on the Lions’ defense after four weeks of spring practice

Installing a new offense or defense takes time. But, the difference between when spring practice started back on March 23 and now appears to be that Penn State defenders are not only picking up Manny Diaz’s scheme but also starting to play with more speed and less thought. There is no question that the unit will play in a way similar to how it did for years under both Bob Shoop and Brent Pry. But, Diaz is going to put his own spin on things. Penn State fans should like what they see come the fall.

“​​I think the tweaks that we’ve made on defense are going to be really beneficial to us,” Franklin said recently. “I know the coaches and the players like it. But it’s been good. Obviously, there’s still a lot of work to do on the defensive side of the ball. There’s still a lot of time between now and Purdue.”

Speaking of work to do…

3. Assessing the loss of Zuriah Fisher

The Penn State defense took a hit on Thursday when news broke that defensive end Zuriah Fisher would miss all of the 2022 season due to a “significant leg injury”, per BWI’s Nate Bauer.

Fisher played in eight games last season and recorded four tackles. The Aliquippa native was expected to have a bigger role this fall, but that will no longer be the case.

Penn State is working to fill out its rotation at defensive end. Adisa Isaac is expected to start at one spot after he missed all of last season due to injury. Nick Tarburton is back and is likely to start at the other spot.

Smith Vilbert is another Lion hoping for more time after a big performance in the Outback Bowl. Amin Vanover can play either spot along the defensive line. Then, second-year Lions Rodney McGraw and Davon Townley Jr., are hoping to crack the rotation for the first time. Position coach John Scott Jr., also has a transfer to work with, which we’ll cover next.

All told, losing depth at any position is not ideal. But, Penn State has enough bodies at this spot to overcome the unfortunate loss of Fisher.

4. A final thought on Demeioun Robinson

The countdown is on for Nittany Lions to welcome Demeioun Robinson to campus.

Penn State made its latest move in the transfer portal last week when it added the former top-100 recruit and now-former Maryland linebacker. He’ll play defensive end in State College. And, in light of the Fisher news, Franklin’s statement two weeks ago that the program needed another edge rusher makes much more sense.

Robinson must have also been aware of the situation, too, because he committed just a week later. It’s a big deal for the Lions. While it’s important not to overhype Robinson before he even arrives in State College, his potential is immense. It’s unlikely that he’ll be a day one starter, but his impact should be felt sooner rather than later once September rolls around.

5. Revisiting a Penn State wrestling commitment

Penn State football “got better” this week. The Lions wrestling program did, as well.

Four-time PIAA medalist Connor Pierce committed to head coach Cael Sanderson’s program last week. The Class of 2022 recruit was 139-18 at Harbor Creek High and finished second in the state tournament as a senior at 138 pounds. He projects to bump up in college to 141, 149, or perhaps even 157.

Pierce does not figure to be an immediate contributor in blue and white, but he’s an aggressive wrestler who has a history of scoring points. That’s exactly the kind of wrestler Sanderson and his coaching staff have turned into stars over the year. Pierce does not come to town with the same kind of success that classmate Levi Haines has. But, it won’t be a shock if he one day becomes a factor for the Nittany Lions.

6. Final thoughts

We’ll wrap up things up with recruiting.

Penn State had a great day on Friday. The Lions hosted the nation’s No. 2 2024 quarterback, Jadyn Davis, in addition to top 2023 linebacker target Phil Picciotti. Four-star 2023 running back London Montgomery was also in town, as was four-star safety Jayden Bonsu. The Lions won’t host recruits again until next week. But, they had a great weekend regardless.

To those who celebrate, have a great Easter weekend!