Penn State football players ball out at Pro Day 2025
10 Nittany Lions participated in drills and tests in front of NFL scouts Friday in State College.
There’s an aura around the highest-paid assistant coach in college football history.
What’s Jim Knowles have to say? What’s his style?
Just how will the new defensive coordinator go about pushing Penn State football toward its first national championship in nearly 40 years …
The initial take during Penn State spring practice sessions: Knowles has been uniquely quiet, studious and ever-confident. The man who just led Ohio State’s nation’s-best defense to a College Football Playoff championship.
“Jim is a man of few words. That’s in the staff meetings in the morning. That’s out here on the field,” head coach James Franklin said. “(We) go through the film and he is thorough, and he is detailed, to the point where I think he is very, very comfortable on the field letting the coaches coach.
“From a big picture perspective, he sees it all. He’s got a very good understanding of what he wants it to look like and how it’s all supposed to fit together. I’ve been very impressed with how it’s gone so far.”
Outgoing Penn State receiver Julian Fleming got to know Fleming when the two were at Ohio State.
“He’s a guy. He’s a football genius,” Fleming said.
“He can’t sit here and have a great conversation with you. But when it comes to football and analyzing offenses and coming up with defenses to run … he’ll know what (the opponent) is running before (they) run it. He’s a great coach.”
While Knowles inherits the foundation of a Top 10 defense at Penn State, he must elevate it into a clutch, big game-winning unit. He must find key replacements across the board.
Here are three things he must accomplish through spring practice and the offseason:
Penn State football: Find a No. 2 pass rusher
The Nittany Lions return one of the top edge rusher’s in the nation in senior-to-be Dani Dennis-Sutton.
But they need another. They’ve thrived the past few years with a high-quality, No. 2 man on the other side of the line. Last year Dennis-Sutton was often as formidable as top rusher Abdul Carter. The year before, Adisa Isaac was excellent in support of future first-round NFL Draft pick Chop Robinson.
This year, Knowles and line coach Deion Barnes must help elevate one or two unproven pass rushers from a crowded, inexperienced room.
The redshirt freshmen may be most promising, starting with Max Granville, Mylachi Williams and Jaylen Harvey. Junior transfer Enai White and oft-injured senior Zuriah Fisher will push, too.
Defensive tackle depth: Who will work alongside Zane Durant?
The Lions must replace most of the deepest defensive tackle room in the nation.
Senior Zane Durant should be one of the best in the nation, but he will need help. And, much like at defensive end, his partner options are relatively unproven.
The Lions have liked to run four-deep at defensive tackle, which means they must find trusted performers from a host of redshirt freshmen and sophomores Ty Blanding and Joseph Mupoyi, junior Kaleb Artis and senior Alonzon Ford, who’s returning from a long-term injury.
The one to watch first? Redshirt freshman Xavier Gilliam (6-foot-2, 300 pounds) has been praised by teammates and coaches in winter workouts and early in spring practice.
Restructuring Linebacker U.
Penn State may often rely on only two standout linebackers (not three) at a time this fall. That’s been a preference in the past for Knowles, who has often used an extra defensive back in his alignments.
He still must figure out puzzle pieces this spring and summer. The Lions have no ready-made replacement for middle linebacker enforcer Kobe King. Rather, they are full of outside, roaming types like Tony Rojas, Dom DeLuca and another bevy of unproven underclassmen.
The spring will be critical for sophomores Dakaari Nelson, Ta’Mere Robinson and junior Keon Wylie − promising prospects who’ve seen only limited field time so far. Someone must emerge, preferably on the inside.
More eye-time will be spent on the freshmen. Those like highly-regarded Anthony Speca and LaVar Arrington, Jr. may be able to rise up the ranks quickly.
Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at fbodani@ydr.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.
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