The Penn State football program continues to make adjustments to its 2025 staff. Among the moves, a former Nittany Lions player has a new title as he continues to grow roots within the community.
Torrence Brown is sticking in State College for a third season of helping James Franklin and his collection of coaches. He is now operating in a defensive analyst role, according to the university’s staff directory. On3’s Greg Pickel was first to report on that change.
The 28-year-old Brown entered 30 games as a Penn State defensive linemen and returned to campus two years ago as a grad assistant. The NCAA permits up to three total GA seasons, and he’d already used one at Marshall in 2022.
Brown held that grad assistant position in 2023 and ’24, working under the direction of defensive line coach Deion Barnes, another former Penn State player. Before being promoted to position coach that year, Barnes served as a PSU analyst and grad assistant behind the scenes.
Other Penn State position coaches who previously operated as Nittany Lions analysts leading up to promotions are Dan Connor (linebackers) and Ty Howle (tight ends), who are two more Nittany Lions lettermen.
Midway through the 2024 season, Barnes shared a progress report of sorts on Brown.
“He’s done a great job of giving his input,” Barnes said. “I think, at first when he came here, he was trying to just do what he had to do to help. But now, he’s understanding I need his input, and his input has been impactful as far as what we run in the games, and then also how he is with the kids. When we’re after practice, or he’s got to help a young guy, whatever it is, he’s been good in those departments, but he’s been a big help to me on the field and off the field handling all these guys.”
Brown will undoubtedly continue to influence young linemen, who will also learn from new assistant defensive line coach Andrew Jackson. Jackson spent the last four seasons as West Virginia’s primary D-line coach.
Back in February 2014, when Franklin scrambled to assemble his first Penn State recruiting class, Brown was among several commits who followed him to campus. He was considered a three-star prospect at Tuscaloosa (Ala.) Academy.
Brown’s playing days in Happy Valley featured seven starts, including the first three games of 2017, before a knee injury ended his redshirt junior campaign. Due to medical concerns, he announced the conclusion of his Nittany Lions career in August 2018.
“It has been tough coming to terms with this news but I know everything happens for a reason and God will continue to guide me,” Brown shared in 2018. “I will still be a part of the team for this upcoming season supporting from the sidelines. I’m looking forward to graduating this winter and getting my degree from one of the most prestigious universities in the country.”
Although he didn’t put on pads in 2018, Brown remained a figure at program facilities and assisted in team preparation, providing an early peek into the profession he has chosen to pursue.
He collected 52 tackles — 12.5 tackles for loss — and two sacks as a Nittany Lions lineman. During his final full game at Penn State — a victory over Pittsburgh in Beaver Stadium — Brown totaled three tackles, including one for loss, and deflected a pass at the line of scrimmage. After redshirting as a freshman, he appeared in 30 consecutive PSU matchups, including the 2016 Big Ten championship.
Brown did return to college football action in 2019, completing his career with Southern Miss, where he was previously pledged in high school before signing with Penn State. A native of Tuscaloosa, Ala., Brown played in eight games with the Golden Eagles that season, starting three of them.
Lions247’s Daniel Gallen recently assembled an updated list of assistant and analyst roles for the 2025 Penn State staff. Review that group below.
- Keith Bruno: assistant special teams coordinator
- Mark Dupuis: assistant wide receivers coach
- Greg Gattuso: senior defensive analyst
- Andrew Jackson: assistant defensive line coach
- Frank Leonard: associate offensive line coach
- Bill Queisert: assistant offensive line coach
- David Rocco: assistant tight ends coach
- Eric Sachse: assistant specialists coach
- James Urban: senior offensive analyst
- Charles Walker: assistant running backs coach
Shane Eachus and Brent Zdebski, who came over after Penn State hired Jim Knowles as its defensive coordinator, are both listed as defensive analyst and analytics coordinator. David Parker also remains listed as offensive analyst and analytics coordinator.
Penn State will open spring practices later this month. Coaches, assistants and analysts will work with a roster that includes more than 20 new Nittany Lions.
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