Which young Penn State defender 'jumps off' the film to Jim Knowles?

Penn State has something of a shortage at defensive tackle when it comes to proven depth entering the 2025 season. The first team is set, with standout Zane Durant set to man his starting spot opposite Alonzo Ford, who is returning from an injury that cost him the end of the 2024 season. From there, though, it’s tough to pinpoint exactly how the depth chart will shake out for position coach Deion Barnes. But, it’s clear one player is emerging as a legitimate candidate for a bigger role: Xavier Gilliam.

A second-year Nittany Lion from Montgomery Village, Md., Gilliam split 55 snaps over five games, four of which came in the postseason. He added some weight during his first year in State College and now stands 6-foot-2, 300 pounds. But, according to first-year defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, it’s his on-field improvement that made him quite recognizable during spring practice.

“He jumped out to me all spring,” Knowles said. “The first thing is, in talking to him, I get a real sense of growth. He came in here and didn’t have a lot of technique. He’s focused hard this past year on his run technique, and now he’s moving more to his pass rush technique. So I really get a sense of a guy who’s mature and understands where he needs to get better.

“But when you watch the film, he jumps off it. He did a lot.”

The ‘S’ Zone: The latest on Penn State recruiting and what’s next for the Nittany Lions?

That’s good news, as it takes just one look at the roster to realize that, while more than just one player will need to step up at defensive tackle, having one separate himself from the pack isn’t a bad thing, either. After Durant and Ford, the rest of the room includes:

Kaleb Artis and Sam Siafa, a pair of redshirt juniors

Ty Blanding, who is a redshirt sophomore

Redshirt freshman Xavier Gilliam, Liam Andrews, De’Andre Cook, and Owen Wafle

Freshman Randy Adirika

You do not need to have the last couple of years worth of stat sheets memorized to know that there is not a lot of production from that group yet. That must change this year, of course. Gilliam appears to be leading the charge to do so. He won’t be the only one who earns a bigger rep count this far. But, he’s been the standout of spring and now the talk of summer, which has him inching closer to having a bigger role in year two.