Penn State Football is in the midst of winter workouts, over the past several weeks, and one player has stood out to defensive coordinator Manny Diaz.
Curtis Jacobs has now been named competitor of the day three times for the linebacker room, leading all linebackers, so far this winter.
Jacobs’ announcement to return to the Nittany Lions for the 2023 season brought back a key defensive piece and true leadership on the defensive side of the football. Jacobs has played in 32 games for Penn State, starting 23 of those games.
With 2023 expected to be Jacobs last season in Happy Valley, he will look to be the leader on what expects to be a standout defense for Penn State and improve his draft stock for the 2024 NFL draft.
3️⃣Peat! @CurtisUpNext23 is the #LBU Competitor of the Day! pic.twitter.com/nSroJFJN1N
— Manny Diaz (@Coach_MannyDiaz) February 16, 2023
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Curtis Jacobs Key to Penn State Football Playoff Hopes
Through the first 29 games of Jacobs’ collegiate career, the standout linebacker has produced 122 total tackles, including 15.0 tackles for loss, with 7.0 sacks and a pair of interceptions.
Last season, Jacobs emerged as a leader of the Lions’ defense by producing a career-high 7.5 sacks, and will look to improve on those numbers, especially alongside budding linebacker Abdul Carter.
Jacobs is a key piece to Diaz’s defense, as James Frankln‘s program aims to break through to the College Football Playoff for the first time this upcoming season.
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Education: Saint Vincent College, Penn State Law School
Location: Washington, DC
Experience:Robert Casturo has covered Penn State football for NittanyCentral since 2022. Casturo previously covered Penn State football through a social media presence (@PSU_FB_Thoughts on X) since 2019. Casturo earned his bachelor's degree from Saint Vincent College in 2015, where he was a punter for 1 season on the Saint Vincent College football team and worked in the athletic department for 2 years as a student manager. Casturo earned his JD from Penn State Law in 2018 where he was a senior editor of the Penn State Law Review.
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