BWI Roundtable: Can Penn State bounce back from loss of DE Adisa Isaac?
Within a few minutes of the start of his preseason media day press conference, James Franklin delivered the news.
The Nittany Lions' head coach, rare to discuss injuries of any nature, announced that presumptive starting defensive end Adisa Isaac would likely be lost for the season.
"Adisa had an offseason injury, not during football training, but had an offseason injury," Franklin said, "and he will be most likely not available for the season.
"You guys know, typically, I don't get into injuries, unless it's something that is going to keep them out for a significant amount of time."
A undeniable blow to Penn State's defensive line, the rising junior seemingly ready for his close-up after spending his first two seasons in the program in the shadows of Odafe Oweh and Shaka Toney, the question for the Nittany Lions is: To what degree?
At a position already needing some unproven prospects to become proven playmakers, how does Isaac's injury and absence affect the Nittany Lions' defense moving forward this season?
Granted, Franklin added in his remarks the possibility of a return for Isaac before Penn State's season comes to a close (though he did not specify the nature of the injury).
"He is doing, unbelievably well," Franklin said. "You never know the way medicine is now, and he has been phenomenal in terms of doing what he needs to do to get back as quickly as he possibly can.
"So, you never know, but he'll be out for a significant amount of time."
Assuming an extended absence for Isaac this season, then, Blue White Illustrated reporters Nate Bauer, Greg Pickel and Dave Eckert discuss the possibilities ahead for the Nittany Lions' defense and its position group of defensive ends:
Nate Bauer
There is something about the anticipation of news coming, this one hinted at by a couple of weeks of public speculation, that softens the impact when it eventually lands.
So when hearing Franklin actually say the words, Greg's story already pre-written and ready to publish with the insertion of a couple of quotes, the reality that Penn State will be without Isaac didn't necessarily turn on blaring lights and blasting sirens for me.
In retrospect, it probably should have.
Penn State already knew it needed some breakout performances from the group given the departures of Oweh and Toney, that much was clear. And in Nick Tarburton, who started to generate some buzz for himself through his spring practices and summer workouts, was already going to be a factor in providing depth among the ends.
But it's really from within a group of Jesse Luketa, Zuriah Fisher, Smith Vilbert, and Amin Vanover that the Nittany Lions are going to have to find consistency and reliability. Defensive coordinator Brent Pry offered his optimism about the potential from within those options on Saturday, lamenting Isaac's loss while turning his eye to what remains.
"We’ve got a good group," Pry said. "We’ve digested this. It’s part of the game. We’ve all been around it. It’s full steam ahead and the plan is to continue to get better."
Whether or not that is true will be revealed soon enough, but its impact on the rest of the defense is what really jumps out. Particularly within a defense that has had so much success making quarterbacks uncomfortable through the play of its line, the effectiveness of the players who step in for Isaac will be critical to not just sacks, but also interceptions and the ability to prioritize stopping the run.
Starters are starters for a reason, and Isaac was poised to be the best of them at Penn State this season, with two years of anticipation creating a tailwind of expectation. That Isaac won't get that opportunity, to me, signals a significant challenge to Pry and the Nittany Lions having the ability to perform at quite the same level as maybe they're hoping this season.
Greg Pickel
Nate hit the nail on the head: Losing an expected first-team player is not an easy pill to swallow, especially when there are no guarantees at the position to begin with.
The Lions have no choice but to bounce back, however, because the strength of the defense depends on it.
The question, however, becomes who fills a sizable void?
Arnold Ebiketie was always primed for a starting role but now he’s going to need to be a star. Nick Tarburton is healthy and sounded confident during media day, but will he finally realize the potential everyone saw for him as a recruit? Will Jesse Luketa play more end than linebacker, and if so, is this the role best suits him? Could a young guy, like Smith Vilbert or Amin Vanover, rise to the occasion? Might Hakeem Beamon play more end than tackle?
All of those questions are ones second-year position coach John Scott Jr., must answer in less than a month, because Wisconsin’s run game will test the edges repeatedly in Camp Randall. It will be a long opener and a long season if the defensive ends aren’t ready, and not having Isaac is a factor of course but not an excuse.
It’s worth noting that Pry said the program had time to digest the injury. Translated, that means they knew about it long before we did, which means the other players at the position knew that they needed to pick it up, too, because a starting spot was suddenly on the line. Penn State fans must hope that a sense of urgency and realization that snaps are out there to be had leads to a productive fall for whoever lines up for the season’s opening snap and beyond.
Dave Eckert
I'll take a different path than my two coworkers and suggest that, despite Adisa Isaac's obvious physical and athletic gifts, we actually don't know what the baseline is here.
He flashed in some limited action last season, and Penn State fans were rightfully excited to see what he could do in a full season when given extended opportunities to succeed.
But we don't actually know what kind of impact he would have made in 2021. We can take some educated guesses, but we have access to very little in the way of hard information.
In a way, I think this makes it a little easier for Penn State to cope with, both from a mental point of view and a pragmatic one. They won't have to try to jam a new player into Isaac's place in the scheme like they would if he was an established player. It also helps that they can give first-team reps in camp to whoever the replacement is.
In that sense, the timing of the injury is actually somewhat fortunate.
The other aspect here, to me, is that Penn State has options.
Greg and Nate have already laid them out for you nicely. The Nittany Lions are excited about Nick Tarburton, and they think Jesse Luketa can produce for them at defensive end in his new role.
Behind them, there are some younger options like Hakeem Beamon, Smith Vilbert and Amin Vanover who will be given the opportunity to earn snaps.
This is a loss that hurts, but it's not time to panic just yet. There are replacement options available who are more than adequate, and they will get the chance to slowly integrate into the role rather than being forced into it mid-season in a reactionary way.
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