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Spring Vacancy: Defensive ends

Although Penn State loses only a handful of starters from its Rose Bowl squad, filling the five starting spots won’t be a quick fix, nor an easy one, as there are fewer vacancies than potential occupants. In some cases, the battles for a few positions will likely extend into preseason.

Even then, some positions might rely on more than one solution. A combination of athletes might make up one replacement; in others, one player might be asked to switch to a different variation of his position in order to distribute the talent across the depth chart. One thing that can be counted on is that the competition will be fierce among both veterans and up-and-comers this spring.

As part of Blue White Illustrated's five-part series, let's take a look at who will vie for the lineup openings in place of Evan Schwan and Garrett Sickels.


Entering his sophomore season, Miller has an opportunity to take over as PSU's sack leader.
Entering his sophomore season, Miller has an opportunity to take over as PSU's sack leader.

DEPARTURES – Evan Schwan, Garrett Sickels

CANDIDATES – Torrence Brown, Ryan Buchholz, Colin Castagna, Daniel Joseph, Shareef Miller, Shane Simmons, Shaka Toney

VACANCIES – There are two spots to fill at defensive end with Schwan graduating and Sickels forgoing his final season of eligibility to enter the NFL Draft. Teammates and roommates, they were a highly effective pair in 2016, sharing the team lead with six sacks apiece. But if they proved anything, it’s that spending a couple of years or more preparing as backups and easing into the rotation before diving in to a full-time role can be advantageous. Sickels started on that track two years ago when he replaced Deion Barnes, and Schwan did it this past year, filling in for the previous year’s sack leader, Carl Nassib. He didn’t parlay that apprenticeship into the same level of production that the Cleveland Browns draftee did, but Schwan more than held his own in his fifth season at Penn State. And although he wasn’t invited to the NFL Combine like Sickels, he’ll be given a close look by scouts on pro day.

But with those players moving on, the sack crown is up for grabs and as we get to next, there’s a host of up-and-comers who have their eyes set on it.

TO BE OCCUPIED BY – Position coach Sean Spencer regularly rotates close to a dozen defensive linemen throughout the course of a game, and as a result, he established quality depth behind Schwan and Sickels last year. Brown has played a significant role the past two seasons, seeing action in 26 games. Now in his fourth year with the program, he's the veteran and a favorite to be a fixture on the first-team unit this spring. But the coaches will be looking for added production now that he’s a potential starter. In all of his first two seasons he totaled just two sacks. Behind and across from him, battles for playing time will rage and the results of those could push Brown for a starter's role.

At times last year, Miller looked like an elite pass rusher. The priority this spring will be to sustain those efforts. Classmate Buchholz will also see his role expand after playing in 13 games as a redshirt freshman. His skill set is unique in that he has the size and ability to play inside in passing situations, so if he continues to show the progress that he displayed in the fall, Buchholz could carve out his own role within Spencer's rotation.

Brown, Miller and Buchholz are almost guaranteed playing time if their trajectory continues. But throughout the 2016 season, five ends saw regular playing time. Assuming that number holds as a benchmark for 2017, who will be the other two to step up? There are a few possibilities. One and perhaps the more likely is Simmons, who redshirted last year after arriving as one of the top recruits in PSU’s 2016 class. Classmates Toney, who was named scout team defensive player of the year, and Joseph, who was injured for most of his freshman season, are other redshirts who will be aiming to make a leap into the mix this spring. Castagna, a walk-on transfer, saw action in seven games last year and the coaches have continually raved about his athletic attributes. If he grows more comfortable this spring, he, too, could see regular snaps next fall.

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