Penn State’s season ended with a heartbreaking loss to Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff (CFP) semifinals. Before the dust could settle, Happy Valley had a lot of player movement. Interestingly, now there is coaching news too. After one season with Penn State, defensive coordinator Tom Allen has decided to move from the Nittany Lions to the Clemson Tigers.
In his new role, Allen moves from one playoff team to another. Clemson won the ACC championship. Penn State lost in the Big Ten title game to Oregon but then advanced to the semifinals after winning over SMU and Boise State.
James Franklin and Penn State will look for a defensive coordinator for the third time in the last four years. The defense is in flux with some lingering questions. Following Manny Diaz and Tom Allen as Penn State’s defensive coordinator is no easy task. However, whoever is ultimately hired for the position will have a good roster of players to work with.
Allen Held Up the Tradition
Despite the momentum of the tight end position, Penn State has traditionally been known as Linebacker U. That is not by accident. From Michah Parsons to Paul Posluszny to LaVar Arrington, there is no shortage of defensive superstars who have worn Penn State uniforms.
As Tom Allen moves from the Nittany Lions to the Tigers, he could be proud of Penn State’s Top 10 defense from this season. After serving as Indiana’s head coach, Allen quickly established himself in Happy Valley and got the most out of his players. The best example is Abdul Carter. Carter was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. However, he did this in a season where he moved from linebacker to defensive end. Carter’s success is a testament to Allen’s teaching and game planning.
Additionally, a good coach can overcome inevitable hardships. For Allen, the biggest loss was arguably KJ Winston’s long-term injury. He did not return after the second game of the season. Allen began the year singing the praises of the leadership KJ Winston and Jaylen Reed. With Winston out of the lineup, Reed was forced to play more of a traditional safety role instead of the hybrid safety/linebacker that he was expected to. However, he was still a very successful contributor to the defense. That is another feather in Allen’s cap.
What’s Left for the New Defensive Coordinator
Whoever comes in as the next Penn State defensive coordinator will have a roster that is very talented, though it remains in flux. On the line, there will be leadership and consistency returning. The linebackers are currently dealing with some uncertainty, while the defensive backfield is a work in progress.
Upfront on the defensive line, the announced returns of Zane Durant at tackle and Dani Dennis-Sutton at end certainly help. However, losing Carter is impactful. Producing to offset Carter’s loss first falls to Dennis-Sutton. He provided a glimpse of what can be in the Notre Dame game, playing the weak side as Carter battled an injury. The early returns were good.
The linebackers came into their own as the year progressed. Headlined by Kobe King, the unit was solid and Allen was able to get good production from them. The highlight was in the first playoff game against SMU. Dom DeLuca (former walk-on) had two interceptions, and Tony Rojas had one, with both returning one for a touchdown. King led the team with eight tackles. A critical success factor for the next coordinator will be getting similar or better output. King’s return would help with that, but he is currently undecided.
The defensive backfield, a strength coming into this season, is now a question mark. Both Winston and Reed have declared for the NFL draft. The safety position should be led by returnees Zakee Wheatley and Zion Tracy. They will be joined by King Mack, who started his collegiate career with Penn State before transferring to Alabama and is now returning to Happy Valley. At cornerback, Jalen Kimber has declared for the draft as well. That leaves AJ Harris leading the cornerback room, along with Elliot Washington II and Audavion Collins.
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