Better or worse? Setting expectations for Penn State's defensive line

Blue White Illustrated's Nate Bauer, Dave Eckert and Greg Pickel are taking stock of the Nittany Lions as the start of the 2021 season quickly approaches.

What are their expectations for each of Penn State's position groups, particularly set against the performances that marked the Nittany Lions' 4-5 campaign in 2020?

No overthinking permitted here: This is an up or down vote across the board.

So, will the Nittany Lions be better or worse at linebacker this year from last? Find out their thoughts, below:

BETTER OR WORSE? Safeties

BETTER OR WORSE? Corners

BETTER OR WORSE? Linebackers

Penn State fans have appreciated the Nittany Lions’ success along the defensive line during the James Franklin era, and the players coached up first by Sean Spencer and now John Scott Jr., have often impressed. Yet, more production is desired from many observers of the program, especially in a game’s biggest moments.

Too often, a great rush led to a non-sack at key moments, and whether or not Brent Pry’s group can change that will be a key thing to watch early in the season.

My money is banking that it will happen.

The additions of Derrick Tangelo and Arnold Ebiketie at tackle and end respectively inject veteran playmakers who have produced at the college level to a room that has PJ Mustipher back in the middle and somewhat experienced Adisa Issac at end but otherwise minimal in-game production otherwise. This group should be hungry and primed for a big year, both on the stat sheet and just in general.

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This was a difficult choice to make, simply because Penn State must replace three of the four starters on its defensive line from 2020, and any time that’s the case there will be numerous variables to deal with that can decide whether this unit has a successful season or not.

But even though we won’t know too much about the new look Nittany Lion defensive front until we get the chance to see it live in action against Wisconsin, there are still plenty of reasons to be optimistic. The first, to me, is experience. James Franklin and his staff acquired two experienced players via the transfer portal in Arnold Ebiketie and Derrick Tangelo, who figure to play huge parts for Penn State in 2021.

The Nittany Lions will be sliding in two players who have started and succeeded at the college level. The new transfer rules in college football allow for rebuilding on the fly in a way that has really benefited Penn State here.

Aside from the new names, I’m optimistic about PJ Mustipher having a bounceback year after he added about 30 pounds in the offseason to return to the 2i-technique spot on the defensive interior. If Mustipher can make the jump, Penn State should feel great about its interior defense.

Shaka Toney and Odafe Oweh are big losses, and Antonio Shelton was productive for the Nittany Lions last season, but between the new additions and exciting options like Adisa Isaac, I’m leaning toward this group taking a step forward next season.

I honestly wasn't sure about this one, if only because the losses of Odafe Oweh and Shaka Toney leave some level of unknown on the edges for the Nittany Lions up front. But, I'm going to defer to Pro Football Focus on this one, who recently described Penn State's pass rush as one of the nation's 10 best entering the 2021 season.

There are a few reasons to come out of this on the "better" side of the ledger, but there are also some unknowns out there that are still to be determined.

The first is that, just as a matter of practicality, Penn State's sacks last season were a major departure from the consistently good numbers the unit has put up the past four or five years. I see that as partly a product of a changed emphasis, defensive coordinator Brent Pry and DL coach John Scott putting more of a priority on maintaining rush lanes and preventing the quarterback scrambles that have at times been daggers to a defense looking to get off the field on third-and-longs.

But I also see the addition of Arnold Ebiketie and Derrick Tangelo, plus another season for Hakeem Beamon, and an anticipated breakout for Nick Tarburton, all as reasons for optimism for a better performance from this group this season. The transfer from Temple, Ebiketie is a pro, so having him for his probable last season of college ball is a huge boon in both his own production as well as in the significance to Adisa Isaac and the conflict it creates for opposing offenses.

Throw in the move of P.J. Mustipher to his natural spot at the nose this season, and the interior has a solid footing from which to work.

The issue, as I see it, exists in the untested nature of Penn State's depth across the board. Is Zuriah Fisher going to step up at end? Will Jesse Luketa be effective in a hybrid role? What's the next step for Smith VIlbert, and can he take it this season? Are Coziah Izzard and Amin Vanover in a position provide consistency after true freshman seasons with limited game reps?

As of July, I'm not completely sure, but the whole of the group certainly has the talent and size to make a splash this year that never came to fruition in 2020.

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