Picking PSU's bests, worsts, and MVPs on defense after six weeks

It's safe to say that Penn State's defense has been a pleasant surprise to start the 2021 season, and that's likely an extreme understatment.

Coordiantor Brent Pry and his position coaches have developed a talented group that thrives at all three levels and routinely suffocates opponents regardless of whether they want to run the ball or pass it.

In this Blue-White Illustrated roundtable, Dave Eckert, Greg Pickel, and Nate Bauer is breaking down the best and worst from the Penn State defense through six games while also picking a MVP and looking ahead to the second half.

Dave: There are a few candidates here, but I'll go with Penn State's linebackers, who have thoroughly impressed me after being just plain bad in 2020. Ellis Brooks' turnaround, specifically, has been remarkable to me. He's got 44 tackles already on the season, which places him inside the top-10 in the Big Ten among all positions. Generally, this is an area where I think you've got to give the Penn State coaching staff some credit. They shuffled the deck, partially moving Jesse Luketa to defensive end and tweaking Brandon Smith's role. That allowed them to get Curtis Jacobs into the starting lineup, and he's been very solid and is improving week by week. Penn State's linebackers are no longer a liability, they are a strong asset, and I wasn't necessarily expecting that to be the case this season.

Greg: To me, it has to be the red zone defense. Penn State has not faced a vaunted attack on offense yet, but regardless, when you allow only half of your opponents' trips into the red zone to result in any points, and most result in a field goal at best, you're doing something very right. This group is doing much well across the board, of course, which means there is an endless number of players and team stat categories to pick from, but this is the one that stands out to me. The Lions probably have a tougher go of it at Iowa if the Hawkeyes score six instead of three early and might not win at Wisconsin if this part of the defense doesn't play as well as it has both in these instances and in other games over the course of the season.

Nate: Given the circumstances, having lost Adisa Isaac well before the start of the season, welcoming in a transfer in Arnold Ebiketie, and needing to fill a vacant DT spot opposite P.J. Mustipher with either transfer Derrick Tangelo or, as we would eventually learn, a player in Hakeem Beamon who had been ruled out for the season, Penn State's defensive line has done more than just hold up. Already a spot that just about everyone predicted to be a challenge for Brent Pry and John Scott Jr. to figure out, the reality for the Nittany Lions is that Ebiketie and hybrid DE/linebacker Jesse Luketa are two of the unit's top-three graded defenders this season according to PFF. That's a surprise, for sure.

Dave: Is it a cop-out to say injuries? I generally think that's been the most disappointing aspect of the season for the Penn State defense, which has been unlucky to lose Adisa Isaac for the season, and will now be without PJ Mustipher for the rest of the year after his injury against Iowa. Those are two key players and I think we might end up asking ourselves how good this group might have been at the end of the year had they both been available for the season's duration.

Greg: It's sorta hard to pick one considering how well this bunch has played, but I'm going to go with missed tackles because it feels like the one area that can be nitpicked. There are, at times, still too many shoulders being thrown instead of sound stops being made, and that is undoubtedly an easy area of focus for the rest of the regular season.

Nate: I hate to say this because I understand the predicament that the group was put into by a lagging offense and a field position battle decidedly working against it. However, I maintain that Penn State's defense probably could have done enough to win that game against the Hawkeyes on Saturday with a 14-point first-half cushion. An unfair expectation? Maybe, but I don't think the Nittany Lions themselves see it that way.

Dave: I've got to go with Jaquan Brisker. Arnold Ebiketie and PJ Mustipher are awesome, and I don't think it's unreasonable to consider Joey Porter Jr. here either. But Brisker is just the pin the holds the defense together, for me. His 81.3 coverage grade from PFF is Penn State's best by a nine-point margin. He has a pair of interceptions as well. Plus, he's a crucial presence stopping the run. His 84.0 tackling grade is also Penn State's best. He does it all, and the Nittany Lions would not have experienced the same success on the defensive side of the ball without him.

Greg: Arnold Ebiketie is my pick. We knew the former All-AAC end at Temple had the skills, but we didn't know if it would immediately translate to the Big Ten, but it certainly has, starting with the Week 1 win over the Badgers. He's quick off the ball and always seems to be harassing the other team's quarterback in the backfield, which sets the tone for a contest. Ebiketie not only makes big plays himself but opens things up for teammates, as well, and the defense takes something of a step back when he's not out there.

Nate: I don't want to steal anyone's thunder, but Brisker and Ebiketie are both good picks for this selection. However, for the sake of keeping this interesting, I think Mustipher deserves a nod here. It might be something of an underrated MVP award, and partly in the acknowledgment of his injury and absence for the rest of the 2021 season, but his performance was the foundation from which Penn State's defense was built this season.

Dave: I have a feeling all of these responses will have a PJ Mustipher-related angle. I want to know if they can still stop the run. They did alright without Mustipher in that department against Iowa, who we associate with having a very strong running game just about every season. But I'm curious to see if that can continue without him against some more very good teams.

Greg: Can they improve in the sack department without PJ Mustipher? From this point of view, that's the big question cause they do pretty much everything else well and are fine in the hurries and pressure department. Some of it is luck-based, but the next logical area for better numbers is in the sack department.

Nate: I just am going to be very interested to see what this defensive line can do with such a core component of its success missing moving forward. Guys like Mustipher might not garner the statistics, but they can and do impact every level of the defense. That’s going to be critical to watch moving forward.

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