Penn State’s camp picture is starting to come into focus, and through two weeks the biggest movement has come on defense. With the season-opener against Marshall set for Sept. 5, Matt Campbell and the Nittany Lions are still sorting out a few key jobs, but a lot of the depth chart is beginning to settle.
On offense, the main questions remain at center and left tackle. Texas State transfer Brock Riker and redshirt senior Dominic Rulli are locked in a close battle at center, with offensive line coach Ryan Clanton calling it a “pretty tight race.” Riker, who was a freshman All-American by The Athletic last season, has been working on the communication side of the position this offseason, even practicing calls in a hotel bathroom mirror.
“Go through the script, start yelling,” Clanton said. “You might sound crazy, but you gotta practice.
… Brock is a phenomenal talent. His communication skills, he's gaining confidence really in his ability in the offense.
He's still got a lot of stuff to clean up, too.”
Riker looks like the player with the higher ceiling, but Rulli still has a path if Riker needs more time before Big Ten play begins. With just under three weeks until kickoff, that competition is still alive.
At left tackle, Malachi Goodman is the expected starter. The former 5-star recruit has the edge, though Campbell is still pushing him in camp rather than handing him the job outright. Offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser has been pleased with what he’s seen.
“awesome.” “It feels like [left guard] Trevor [Buhr] and Malachi, for being an older guy and a younger guy, have played together for a long time,” Mouser said.
Garrett Sexton and Owen Aliciene are also pressing Goodman, and Clanton said the staff is focused on getting more out of his power and athleticism.
“The biggest thing with him is power and athleticism at the same time,” Clanton said. “We've really been working on him to really uncoil to run through defenders, not to defenders.
But I think he's been doing a great job. He's not a guy that you want to stand in front of in blocking drills.”
Elsewhere on offense, the projected starters remain steady. Carson Hansen is still the likely running back to open the season, though Quinton Martin Jr. and James Peoples have both generated buzz in camp and Cam Wallace is also in the mix, making that a four-player competition for touches and opportunities. Receivers Chase Sowell, Brett Eskildsen and Koby Howard have all stood out as well.
There haven’t been surprises at quarterback, tight end or across most of the line. Rocco Becht, Ben Brahmer, Trevor Buhr, Cooper Cousins and Anthony Donkoh all remain projected starters.
Brahmer, in particular, drew attention with his physical profile and athletic testing. “Penn State’s Matt Campbell introduces you to Bill Brasky, aka tight end Ben Brahmer. He’s 6-7, runs “almost 22 mph” and competed in 7 events at his state track meet. pic.twitter.com/g2hqmT7yGi”
Defensively, the most uncertainty entering camp has started to clear. Ikenna Ezeogu has emerged as the top defensive end and has backed that up in open practices. Edge rushers coach Christian Smith didn’t hold back on his evaluation.
“He is an NFL player in my mind,” edge rushers coach Christian Smith said at media day. “He has the size, he has the speed, he has the strength.
It's just our job to get him to videotape evidence. But his eye is not on just the NFL.
It's about us having success, him being the best player for us to play winning defense and for us to win stuff.”
The other end spot is still unsettled. Caleb Bacon has been working there as Penn State looks to take advantage of his versatility, and Campbell said the staff would be “missing the boat to not add his multiplicity.” Yvan Kemajou is another name to watch after standing out for his athleticism, while Max Granville and Alexander McPherson could also win the job.
Inside, the two defensive tackle spots are being fought over by Siale Taupaki, Keanu Williams and Armstrong Nnodim. Taupaki’s experience gives him a strong claim, since he’s in his eighth year of college football.
Williams, though, comes with a big endorsement from Cooper Cousins, who said he is expected to be “an elite defensive tackle in this conference this year,” and that makes him hard to leave off the projected first team. Nnodim has also made an impression, with Cousins calling him “built and chiseled" for his size.
Penn State has been using a 4-2-5 look on defense, which leaves Tony Rojas and Kooper Ebel as the projected linebackers and Zion Tracy as the nickel corner.
The secondary could still shift because of injuries. Daryus Dixson has missed a few practices, and Jeremiah Cooper is still coming back from an ACL tear, though he was involved in more drills Monday than he was earlier in camp. If Cooper isn’t ready for the opener, Jamison Patton could start in his place, or Tracy could move over.
There is optimism there, though. Cooper said on Aug. 7 that he’ll be “real good very soon” and “should be there” for the season-opener, and Campbell has said none of the injury situations are long-term.
Penn State’s first two weeks of camp haven’t solved every battle, but they’ve clarified plenty. The offense looks mostly stable, while the defense is still sorting out a few spots up front and in the secondary as Sept. 5 gets closer.
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