Penn State Football Spring Practice Primer: Defensive Position Breakdown

This is the second in a two-part series previewing the position breakdown of Penn State’s football team heading into spring practice, which starts Monday. Sunday’s installment takes a look at the defense and special teams.

A Penn State defense will debut this spring without Tom Bradley on staff for the first time in 403 games.

With it comes a change in philosophy under first-year defensive coordinator Ted Roof, from a cover-two zone largely dependent on pressure from the front four to a multiply aggressive scheme that blitzes from all angles to disrupt a quarterback’s rhythm.

Ask, and ye shall receive.

Penn State fans have cringed whenever the bend-but-don’t-break defense failed them. Of course, the Nittany Lions have annually ranked near the top among the nation’s best defenses, too.

It provides an interesting narrative for defensive line coach Larry Johnson and linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden, the only two assistants retained from the Paterno regime. Those two know the old scheme worked.

If Roof’s risk-taking defense does not yield great reward, do Johnson and Vanderlinden have a louder voice during internal defensive discussions?

To the players . . .

Defensive line

Key losses: RS Sr. Devon Still, Sr. Jack Crawford

Key returnees: Sr. Jordan Hill, Sr. Sean Stanley, RS Sr. Pete Massaro

Hill is poised to step in for Still, a likely first-round NFL draft pick next month, but will his size (6-foot-1, 298 pounds) demand as much attention from offensive linemen?

Massaro is coming off ACL rehab but performed well in 2010 — also a year following ACL surgery — recording eight tackles for loss.

Linebacker

Key loss: RS Sr. Nate Stupar

Key returnees: RS Sr. Michael Mauti, Sr. Gerald Hodges, Jr. Glenn Carson, Jr. Khairi Fortt

Mauti won’t see much action this spring coming off ACL rehab, so there’s plenty of reps to go around for a younger player (maybe Mike Hull?) to make an impact.

Similar to running back, a couple incumbents (Mauti, Hodges) need not worry about losing their starting position despite open competition across the field.

Cornerback

Key losses: Sr. D’Anton Lynn, RS Sr. Chaz Powell

Key returnees: Sr. Stephon Morris, So. Adrian Amos

Penn State’s secondary got wiped out because of graduation. All four starters from 2011 are gone.

Along with offensive line coach Mac McWhorter, secondary coach John Butler has the toughest task of evaluating what he has coming back.

Corner appears more clear at this juncture than safety, with the senior Morris returning as well as Amos, who stepped in as a freshman and appeared in 12 games, made four pass break-ups, five pass deflections and returned an interception 46 yards.

Safety

Key losses: RS Sr. Drew Astorino, RS Sr. Nick Sukay

Key returnee: RS Jr. Malcolm Willis

Safety is far less certain outside of Willis, who has the better part of two years worth of experience.

Will the Hero position survive?

Special teams

Key losses: KR Chaz Powell, KS Jon Rohrbaugh

Key returnees: K/P Anthony Fera, PR Justin Brown

Laugh all you want, but Rohrbaugh was a perfect 72-for-72 on snaps a year ago — it matters.

The real intrigue here comes in the return game. Former coach Joe Paterno preferred a sure-handed guy fielding punts, but this regime may opt for wheels and vision.

Analysis

When’s the last time defense was ever a question mark heading into spring?

The loss of its best player (Still) and four defensive backs can’t be overlooked, and whether or not Roof has the personnel to employ his system is the unknown.

Related coverage:

• StateCollege.com’s Penn State football page

• Penn State Football Spring Practice Primer: Offensive Position Breakdown