Penn State’s White Out meeting with USC puts a few Nittany Lions under the microscope, and the Lions247 crew split its focus across both sides of the ball when breaking down players to watch for Saturday night in Beaver Stadium.
On defense, Jeremiah Cooper stands out as the kind of steadying presence Penn State needs against a USC passing game that is piling up 312 yards per contest and is driven by quarterback Jayden Maiava, who has thrown 39 touchdown passes since 2025. Brennan went with the fifth-year senior safety, and the pick makes sense: Cooper has settled back into a starting role after a September 2025 ACL tear, which kept him out of spring practice, limited him through much of preseason camp and restricted him in Game 1.
Since then, he has become a fixture. Cooper saw 25-plus more snaps than safeties Marcus Neal Jr. and Jamison Patton against Wisconsin, and his resume already carried plenty of weight when he arrived with more than 30 college starts and a national reputation for career pass breakups. Brennan also pointed to Cooper’s response after the defense’s rough outing at Northwestern, when Cooper didn’t sugarcoat it.
"Everybody was pretty disgusted watching that tape on Saturday," Cooper said. "... Everybody was sick watching it, because we know that's not Penn State defense."
Penn State will be leaning on that kind of edge in a game where Cooper’s range and leadership could matter before the opening snap and long after it.
Daniel Gallen stayed in the secondary too, but shifted to cornerback Audavion Collins. The fifth-year senior is set for his 19th straight start and has already built momentum with the new coaching staff.
Offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser even called him an "arch nemesis" in practice, and Collins has backed up the praise with production. He leads the team with seven pass breakups, and Pro Football Focus credits him with only one reception allowed, for six yards.
Collins has also shown off the speed that landed him on The Athletic’s annual "Freaks List" after being tracked at faster than 23 mph. Now he gets his biggest challenge yet against Lincoln Riley’s aggressive passing attack and an experienced quarterback. Collins didn’t hide his approach heading into the season.
"I'm gonna be a dog, so by any means, I'm gonna trust my instinct and just go get it," Collins said of his mindset entering the season.
A big day here could push him further into the conversation as a 2027 NFL Draft stock-up candidate.
On offense, Chase Sowell is the name to know. The former Iowa State receiver has delivered in Penn State’s new look, especially after moving from a supplemental role in the non-conference stretch into the WR1 spot with Koby Howard sidelined. Over the last two games, while quarterback Rocco Becht has struggled, Sowell has caught 11 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown.
He has also accounted for both of Penn State’s Big Ten receptions of 20-plus yards, going for 22 and 26 yards, and at 6-foot-3 and 203 pounds, he has shown he can win contested throws. Campbell summed up the situation this way on Tuesday:
"[Howard] was the guy that was consistently executing, and Chase is doing that right now at a really high rate," Campbell said on Tuesday.
Sowell has reached at least five catches in three of the last four games, and he should be central to Penn State’s passing game again Saturday. USC has allowed 231 passing yards per game, ranking 15th among conference opponents, which gives Sowell and the Nittany Lions a clear area to attack if Becht can find him downfield.
A fifth-year senior with a bright personality and a fourth college home, Sowell has already looked comfortable on this stage. Saturday gives him another chance to show it.
In Other News...
Penn States White Out Puts One USC Advantage Under Pressure
The White Out at Penn State is already looming as a major test for USC, but it also carries a familiar twist for Lincoln Riley. On the other side will be DAnton Lynn, now Penn States defensive coordinator, who spent last season on Rileys USC staff and helped stabilize a Trojans defense that had been searching for answers. Their shared background gives this matchup an unusual layer of familiarity, with both coaches knowing something about how the other thinks and prepares.
For Penn State, Lynns return to the opposite sideline adds intrigue to a game that will be driven as much by adjustments as by atmosphere. Riley has long been one of the sports sharper offensive minds, and Lynns recent success against that same environment gives the Nittany Lions a meaningful point of confidence. There is mutual respect between the two, but Saturday night is about more than that history. It is a chance to see which coach can turn familiarity into an edge when the crowd, the stakes and the pressure are all at their peak. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State White Out Just Got Bigger Than Anyone Wanted
Penn State is heading into Saturday nights White Out with a lot more on the line than usual, and not just because No. 19 USC is coming to Beaver Stadium for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff. The Nittany Lions have spent the past couple weeks trying to steady themselves after losses to Wisconsin and Northwestern, results that have put a spotlight on a season that was supposed to feel more settled by now.
USC arrives with the kind of profile that can make an already charged environment feel even heavier. Lincoln Rileys team is 5-1 and has flashed the offensive punch that has become its calling card, even if the defense has left room for concern. For Penn State, the White Out is no longer just about pageantry and atmosphere. Its a chance to halt the slide before the questions around Matt Campbells tenure grow any louder. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Still Needs More From One Key Pass Rusher
Penn States defense came out of the Northwestern game with a few reminders of how thin the margin can be up front. The run defense gave up more ground than usual, the sack count stayed low, and the overall pressure package never quite found a steady rhythm. For a unit that has leaned on disruption to set the tone, it was the kind of afternoon that left the staff looking for a little more from the edge.
Yvan Kemajou has been part of that conversation because the flashes are there, but defensive coordinator DAnton Lynn made it clear the next step is consistency. Penn State likes the playmaking potential Kemajou brings, and the coaches know there is still room for the defense to tighten up as the season moves on. The upside remains obvious, but the Lions are still waiting for that pass-rushing spark to show up snap after snap. [Read more 🡒]