Penn State vs Utah Rose Bowl depth chart: defense
There’s only one more game for the 2022 Penn State football team. They face Utah in the Rose Bowl to close out the college football bowl season on Monday. Here’s the defensive depth chart for the Nittany Lions to get you ready for the game.
Penn State defensive line
Defensive end
46 Nick Tarburton (R-Sr)
44 Chop Robinson (So.)
56 Amin Vanover (So.)
36 Zuriah Fisher (So.)
Defensive tackle
51 Hakeem Beamon (R-Jr)
99 Coziah Izzard (R-So)
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)
92 Smith Vilbert (R-Jr)
The Lowdown:
The most significant change on the defensive roster this week is the presence of defensive end Smith Vilbert. Before he missed the 2022 season for undisclosed reasons, Vilbert rushed off the left side behind starter Adisa Isaac. We’ll place him there for the game, and while it’s unclear if he’ll get playing time, his presence back at practice is noteworthy. The Nittany Lions have an embarrassment of riches at the defensive end position, with both Zuraih Fisher and Vilbert rejoining the position late in the year.
Lions linebackers
WILL linebacker
11 Abdul Carter (Fr.)
23 Curtis Jacobs (So.)
45 Charlie Katshir (R-Sr.)
42 Jamari Buddin (R-Fr.)
Middle linebacker
43 Tyler Elsdon (So.)
41 Kobe King (So.)
SAM linebacker
23 Curtis Jacobs (So.)
0 Jonathan Sutherland (R-Sr.+)
34 Dominic DeLuca (R-Fr.)
The Lowdown:
There’s not much to say about the linebacker room, which Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham called one of the best his team had seen all season. With Utah’s propensity to run the football, expect to see a heavy dose of Abdul Carter and Curtis Jacobs on the field together to end the season.
That’s not to say Jonathan Sutherland won’t play in his final game. Sutherland, Dom DeLuca, and Kobe King will see plenty of snaps in this hard-fought game.
Penn State secondary
Safety
16 Ji’Ayir Brown (Sr.+)
7 Jaylen Reed (So.)
21 KJ Winston (Fr.)
Safety
2 Keaton Ellis (Jr.)
7 Jaylen Reed (So.)
6 Zakee Wheatley (R-Fr.)
The Lowdown:
Penn State’s secondary should be a big advantage in the team’s matchup against the Utes passing attack, led by quarterback Cam Rising. Utah has few explosive weapons, and the athleticism edge in the secondary easily goes to the Nittany Lions. One interesting matchup will be if 6-2 227-pound running back Ja’Quinden Jackson breaks into the secondary. He’s the one player with the size, speed, and burst to make big plays for Utah.
Cornerback
3 Johnny Dixon (Jr.)
8 Marquis Wilson (Jr.)
13 Cristian Driver (Fr.)
Cornerback
4 Kalen King (So.)
5 Cam Miller (Fr.)
Nickel
25 Daequan Hardy (R-Jr.)
3 Johnny Dixon (Jr.)
The Lowdown:
Without Joey Porter Jr, Johnny Dixon moves over from his cornerback spot that he shared with Kalen King all season. The triumvirate of Dixon, Marquis Wilson, and Kalen King finished the season, taking most of the reps at both positions. If Penn State wanted to rotate a young player in, Cam Miller would be the player. However, he’ll have to prove he’s tough enough against the run to see the field.
Beyond that, Daequan Hardy and Dixon will also share reps at slot corner, as they did most of the season based on blitz packages and personnel.
