Much attention has been given to the quarterback position this off-season in the Penn State community, but the same question may be applied to the linebacker position on the other side of the field.
The Nittany Lions must replace all three starters at the position as Sean Lee, Navorro Bowman and Josh Hull have all moved on to the NFL. Lee is making a push for a starting gig with the Dallas Cowboys, Bowman is playing well in pre-season games with the San Francisco 49ers, and Hull looks like a solid reserve player with the St. Louis Rams. Replacing three NFL linebackers is no easy task for most schools, but most schools do not have the nickname of "Linebacker U."
The next class of linebackers are not without talent and should not be taken for granted. The only player who appears to be a lock for a starting job at this point is Bani Gbadyu, a senior. He ranked seventh on the squad with 37 tackles, the highest total among players that did not start at least half the games. He also had 0.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and a pass breakup in contributing to Penn State's Top 10 defense. Gbadyu should emerge as the leader of the defense on the field. If he does then Penn State should be in good shape. The question is whether or not Gbadyu can be viewed as a leader on the sidelines as well. Is he the type of player to rally the team when in a key situation?
"On a team, you just don't point to someone and say 'You're a leader,'" junior safety Drew Astorino said in an AP report. "You've got to earn the respect from your teammates. You've got to do what you need to do on the field, practice room and the weight room."
If Gbadyu starts in the middle of the field then who will start alongside him? Names to keep an eye on are Chris Colasanti, Mike Mauti, and Nate Stupar.
Mauti is the most interesting player to watch. A year removed from a season ending knee injury Mauti looks to get back on the field and make an impact. He told ESPN Big Ten blogger Adam Rittenberg about his initial feelings with pain he experienced the morning after Penn State's first full-contact practice of the season. "I was like, 'Oh, this is what it feels like to be hitting again,'" Mauti recalled. "But it definitely felt good to get out there and start hitting and get that feeling again."
If Mauti is excited about feeling pain, then that has to be a good sign for a program who is built on a foundation of tough linebackers. Mauti is one of the few linebackers to see playing time as a freshman, which should indicate just how highly coaches feel about Mauti. While he was limited in spring drills and has only started to feel comfortable with his knee this summer, Mauti is ready to go this season. Being able to have Mauti on the outside of Gbadyu will give Penn State a strong duo. Mauti could even slip in to the middle of the field, where Phil Steele predicts he will sart the season.
Nate Stupar appears to have all kinds of potential that is ready to be uncorked on opponents. Stupar is Penn State's fifth leading tackler returning this season (31 total tackles, tied with defensive end Jack Crawford). Most are expecting Stupar to win a starting job on the outside and he had an opportunity to showcase his talents last season. Penn State started Stupar twice in place of Bowman, who missed some time due to a minor foot injury in the beginning of the season.
Also in the running for a starting gig is Colasanti, who also saw some fill-in time for Hull last season. Colasanti has not lived up to his high expectations coming out of high school to this point so this could be his final shot at leaving his mark within the program. Colasanti had 18 tackles last season, including one sack, but most of his time on the field came in mop-up duty in games that were well in hand for Penn State.
The 2010 spring football guide put out by Penn State listed Gbadyu, Colasanti and Stupar as the top linebackers returning to the team this season, although the starting jobs have been up for grabs since the departure of Lee, Bowman and Hull.
Comments