Penn State Football: Early Prediction for Starting Lineup on Defense

With August officially upon us, Penn State football will return to the field in game action later this month against West Virginia.

Earlier this week, Penn State opened fall camp with plenty of starting positions to fill after the Nittany Lions saw ten players head to the NFL this offseason.

On offense, Penn State returned key pieces of the 2023 team while looking to new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki to refresh the offensive scheme.

On defense, however, Penn State Football is looking to replace key starters after six defensive starters left for the NFL.

Early projections on Penn State Football’s starting Lineup on Defense

Penn State Football Defensive End: Dani Dennis Sutton and Abdul Carter

Yes, James Franklin said that Abdul Carter’s position could change week by week between linebacker and defensive end.

However, with Jameial Lyons indefinite suspension and Zuriah Fisher’s injury, Carter will be hard to pull away from defensive end this fall.

On the other side, former five-star Dani Dennis-Sutton is primed for a monster year after showing major flashes of high-level potential last season, including effectively ending the game against Indiana with a strip sack. Behind these two, depth is getting low between the Lyons and Fisher situations and the Nittany Lions may lean more heavily on these two than Penn State has with starters at defensive end in recent years.

Defensive Tackle: Dvon J Thomas and Zane Durant

Penn State Football, Tom Allen — Penn State Nittany Lions defensive coordinator Tom Allen (Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-USA TODAY Sports)

Coming back for a sixth and final season, Dvon J Thomas (formerly Ellies) looks to build on an All-Big Ten honorable mention season in 2023 where he made eight starts and recorded 26 tackles and five tackles for a loss.

Next to J Thomas, junior Zane Durant should get the nod after starting 11 games last season for the Nittany Lions. Durant posted 17 tackles, 5.5 tackles for a loss, two sacks, and a fumble recovery earning an All-Big Ten honorable mention nod from the media.

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Linebacker: Dominic DeLuca, Tony Rojas, and Kobe King

Penn State Football, Tony Rojas — Nov 4, 2023; College Park, Maryland, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Tony Rojas (13) runs off the field before the game against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

After starting his career as a walkon, Dominic DeLuca not only earned a scholarship, but has earned major playing time on Penn State’s defense. Appearing in all 26 games for the Nittany Lions over the past two seasons, DeLuca recorded 29 tackles, 4.5 tackles for a loss, two forced fumbles, two interceptions, a sack, and a blocked punt last season. DeLuca is a key player on Penn State’s special teams units and should slide into Curtis Jacobs starting spot on the Penn State defense to begin the season. In Tom Allen’s defense, however, DeLuca could see reduced playing time as Penn State opts to use the new “Lion” nickel package instead of the Sam linebacker more this season.

Sophomore Tony Rojas flashed star potential during his true freshman campaign in 2023, appearing in all 13 games for the Nittany Lions and recording 21 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss, a forced fumble, and an interception.

With Abdul Carter’s move to defensive end, Rojas will move up into a starting linebacker role this season with plenty of upside for the second-year player who will be leaned on in Tom Allen’s defense, especially in two-linebacker sets when the Nittany Lions use the “Lion” package.

Kobe King enters his fourth season with the Nittany Lions, now firmly entrenched in the starting spot at middle linebacker after battling with Tyler Elsdon at the position for the past two seasons. King posted 59 tackles, six tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery en route to an All-Big Ten honorable mention nod last season.

Cornerback: AJ Harirs and Cam Miller

Penn State Football, Trey Wallace, Harrison Wallace III — Apr 13, 2024; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Harrison Wallace III (6) avoids a tackle while running with the ball during the second quarter of the Blue White spring game at Beaver Stadium. The White team defeated the Blue team 27-0. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-USA TODAY Sports

Florida transfer Jalen Kimber enters camp with the most experience out of anyone in the Nittany Lions’ cornerback room. However, he will face an intense competition from a number of younger players on the roster in what could be one of the most competitive position battles this fall.

Despite his struggles against Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl, Cam Miller has shown plenty for the Nittany Lions in relief of Penn State’s starting three cornerbacks last fall. In 13 games last season, Miller recorded 24 tackles, four tackles for a loss, three sacks, and an interception, showing a great ability to play behind the line of scrimmage.

On the other side, Georgia transfer AJ Harris looked every bit the part of his five-star ranking out of high school in Penn State’s annual blue and white game in April. Despite his lack of experience on the field, Harris’ talent will be hard to keep off the field for Penn State cornerbacks coach Terry Smith.

Safety: KJ Winston, Jaylen Reed, and Zakee Wheatley

Safety is one of two positions on the defense where the Nittany Lions did not lose starting experience heading into 2024 (however, the Nittany Lions did lose backup King Mack to the transfer portal).

With KJ Winston and Jaylen Reed back for the Nittany Lions in 2024, Penn State should have one of the best defensive backfields in the Big Ten. As noted earlier, Tom Allen’s new “Lion” position will also give the Nittany Lions an ability to run three safety packages this season, where Reed is expected to slot into the new “Lion” role and redshirt junior Zakee Wheatley would move into the third safety slot.