Defensive coordinator’s enthusiasm rubs off on Nittany Lions
Talking to Penn State defensive coordinator Brent Pry is equivalent to shotgunning a 16-ounce Red Bull, doing some burpees and downing another energy drink before running three miles. His description of a game day at Beaver Stadium is an example of his energy.
“It’ll make the hair stand up on the back of your neck,” Pry said Wednesday via Zoom.
The Altoona native further illustrated the enthusiasm of having a crowd of 107,000 people rooting for you with a story from his first Whiteout game.
“Coach [James] Franklin doesn’t like me to tell the story,” Pry said with a wry smile before ignoring the jovial mandate. “My very first Whiteout, it was Ohio State in 2014. I jogged down that tunnel onto the field for the opening kickoff. I about passed out. It was incredible. I’ve been in a lot of big college football environments, and hands down, this is the best.
“We don’t have the type of fans that sit in their seats, man. They’re going to wear blue jeans and Penn State sweatshirts. They cheer like crazy.”
Expressing love for Penn
State starts on the field for Pry. He shows affection for his players in every possible way. For example, Pry’s Zoom background had former Nittany Lion linebacker Micah Parsons in a Dallas Cowboys uniform with a caption connoting Parsons as the 69th linebacker drafted from the program.
Pry acknowledged the challenges presented by Parsons opting out partly correlated to the struggles in 2020 for the defense. However, he also beamed with pride along with Franklin when the Cowboys picked Parsons.
“Anytime you’re hitting curveballs, it’s a little bit dicey,” Pry said. “We supported Micah opting out, but it put more pressure on the rest of the guys in the room.”
Here are a few takeaways from a 20-minute conversation with Pry.
• Jesse Luketa, Ellis Brooks, and Brandon Smith should be the starting linebackers when the Nittany Lions travel to Wisconsin for the season opener. Luketa, Brooks, and Smith will be joined by players such as Charlie Katshir.
“It’ll be like we did with Micah two years, and Jesse will get some snaps at defensive end,” Pry said. “I still consider him a starter in my room. But he’s also going to play a role on the defensive line at the end position.”
Players who can rush the quarterback in multiple ways have value in the NFL. “Jesse is a true hybrid. He could develop into an all-conference end as easily as he could develop into an all-conference linebacker. We’re going to maximize his ability because that’s our job as coaches. It gives us an advantage when the offense doesn’t know where No. 40 is going to line up on each play.”
Pry elaborated on the rest of the linebackers: “Ellis is playing his best football right now. He had a tremendous spring. I think he had a lot of growth last year. I think he learned a lot last year. I think we’ll get his best football this fall. Brandon Smith got a lot of experience last year. I think we’ve got him at the right position. He’s going to play at ‘Will.’ Curtis Jacobs will play the ‘Sam.’ He’s got a lot of athleticism for the position.”
• The emergence of transfer Johnny Dixon and freshman Kalen King in the scondary created some room for Marquis Wilson to try playing wide receiver. “We always want to do whatever it takes to win,” Pry said. “It was our suggestion as defensive coaches that he try it because we know firsthand what kind of ball skills he has.”
Pry used Wilson’s interception in fourth quarter of the 2019 Cotton Bowl as an example of Wilson’s potential on offense.
“He’s a crafty guy that loves the game and has a knack for the ball. We were happy to see something happen for him on that side of the ball. We had a little depth. We also wanted to evaluate Kalen King and Johnny Dixon. We’ll always welcome him back on our side of the ball.”
• Kalen and Kobe King made their mark during spring. Kalen’s interceptions during the open scrimmages caught the eyes of fans and media. The freshman adds to a room that’s so deep it caused two position changes — Wilson and Keaton Ellis from corner to safety. Don’t be surprised if Kobe works his way into the linebacker rotation.
“They’re ahead of the game a little bit from your normal freshmen,” Pry said. “You know how important this is to them based on their approach to things. They work hard. Kobe’s one of the stronger guys on the team. He’s very physical. Then Kalen is talented with natural gifts at his position. He’s got good instincts. They’re a good pair of freshmen.”