Toney tops Lions’ list of strong pass rushers
Penn State football should have another strong group of defensive ends this season. Even with the loss of Yetur Gross-Matos to the NFL, it would be a surprise if the Nittany Lions didn’t have another group of excellent pass rushers ready to go for new defensive line coach John Scott Jr.
Here’s a look at where the position stands heading into the 2020 season.
Projected starters
Redshirt senior Shaka Toney and redshirt
sophomore Jayson Oweh: The Nittany Lions will be led by one of their most veteran players along the defensive front and one of their highest-upside contributors. Toney started all 13 games last season at defensive end after playing in 25 games in the previous two seasons.
Oweh has appeared in 17 games in his first two years on campus and made one start in that time. Toney is more secure in his role as a starter, but it’s Oweh who has a chance to burst onto the scene this season.
The 6-foot-5, 257-pound defensive end flashed his upside as an edge rusher throughout the 2019 season and might be the best athlete on the team. Oweh was clocked at 4.33 seconds in the 40-yard dash, a freakish time for almost any position, but especially astonishing for a defensive end.
His explosion doesn’t just show up in workouts either. Oweh is consistently one of the best athletes on the field whenever he lines up and uses it to dominate off the edge. His elite speed translates onto the field and allows him to beat offensive tackles by blowing past them. His elite first step puts them at an extreme disadvantage and his speed and athleticism can take over from there. He contorts his body around the edge to bend past tackles and get to the quarterback.
Oweh has added strength in his first three years on campus that has made him more than a one-dimensional pass rusher. He can hold up well enough in the run game as long as he doesn’t allow blockers to get to his chest and attack his upper body. The redshirt sophomore has the length to prevent that from happening and has enough power to shed blockers and do well against the run.
He still has plenty of room to add more weight and be even better against the run, but right now he’s so good as a pass rusher that it might not matter. Oweh is a legitimate candidate for a breakout season. Usually a breakout season means a big step forward on the field and a chance to go from a bench player to legitimate starter. Oweh could go from a rotational defensive end to the team’s best defensive lineman and a legitimate threat to go in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
His counterpart doesn’t have the same type of upside, but should pose a threat off the edge. Toney is undersized at defensive end but has the athleticism to be a threat in the passing game. He uses his flexibility to bend off the edge and get by opposing tackles, but is much more easily handled than Oweh. Toney is listed at 6-foot-3 and 236 pounds, but looks much smaller than his listed weight. Offensive linemen can stifle him if they get their hands on him and wall him off. More athletic offensive tackles can even stay in front of him because he doesn’t have the necessary strength to counter their quickness.
Like Oweh, Toney is a better pass rusher than he is a run stopper but his deficiencies are more pronounced than Oweh’s because of his size. He can be overpowered by linemen that are stronger than him and can get washed out of plays because of it. Toney has the experience to play smarter than other defensive ends and uses his intelligence to read the play and stay alive in the run game. He doesn’t have the same upside as Oweh, but Toney is still expected to maintain his job at defensive end and contribute heavily in his final year on campus.
Key backups
Redshirt senior Shane Simmons and true sophomore Adisa Isaac: Penn State should have a nice mix of experience and upside backing up Oweh and Toney at defensive end. Simmons will be fighting with Oweh for the starting job, but given their performances over the last two years, it seems more likely that the younger defensive end comes out on top. Isaac could also compete for the starting job, but he’s more raw than Oweh is and may still be a year away from starting.
Simmons is a veteran presence on the edge who has struggled with injuries since he stepped on campus as a five-star recruit in 2016. He’s appeared in 34 games but has yet to make a start. He could potentially do that this season, but it’s not a given. Simmons is long and athletic but needs to develop more strength to hang with Big Ten offensive tackles. He’s not quite the athlete that Oweh and Toney are, making it more difficult for him to produce without more strength.
Isaac is comparable to Oweh in his upside and athleticism, and could help make up one of the best pass rushing duos in the nation in 2021. Isaac registered 1.5 sacks in 11 appearances last season and showed enough early for the Nittany Lions not to redshirt him. The true sophomore has elite burst off the edge and uses his length to swat away offensive tackles’ hands and get to the quarterback. Isaac doesn’t have the same level of hype as Oweh because he hasn’t put out the same type of testing numbers, but he has just as much upside as the redshirt sophomore.
Freshman to watch
Bryce Mostella: The Nittany Lions don’t have an Isaac or Oweh in the 2020 recruiting class, but they could potentially have another Gross-Matos down the line. Mostella fits the mold of other defensive ends recruited by former Penn State defensive line coach Sean Spencer. He’s long and athletic with good flexibility and balance, but is still relatively raw and thin. The 6-foot-6, 241-pound defensive end has the frame to add 30 more pounds and not lose his athleticism.
Mostella has the tools to be a very good defensive end.