Better or Worse? Penn State Defensive Tackles
Penn State football is making the final preparations for the 2023 season, with fall camp starting late next month. Before the season gets here, we’re going to examine each position on the offense and defense to see if that unit will be better or worse than last season.
We continue our look at the defense and examine the Penn State defensive tackles. Long-time team leader PJ Mustipher moved on after his final season in Happy Valley last year, leaving a void in the leadership of the defense, and the position. But Mustipher was the only loss at the position. So, will Penn State be better or worse this year?
Setting the baseline for Penn State’s defensive tackle room
One of the main reasons for optimism last season was the depth of players that Penn State could use at defensive tackle. Between veterans Mustipher, D’Von Ellies, Coziah Izzard, and Hakeem Beamon the team had a large number of players to draw from. When you added in young players such as Jordan van den Berg and freshman Zane Durant, the team had a wide variety of body types and skills to choose from.
However, the team started the season without Izzard for the first four games, and Mustipher was coming off of an ACL injury in October of the previous year. Also, Hakeem Beamon’s weight, which is always a conversation topic in the offseason, was well below expectations, playing around 265 pounds last season.
So as the reality about the position shook out from hopeful options to realistic options, the situation eroded once the rubber of the season hit the road. Heading into 2023, there’s a similar feeling. But it’s June, and we can choose to be optimistic. It won’t be a major increase, but this group should be better than last year.
A tradition unlike any other
We’ll start with tracking Beamon’s weight in the most obvious and familiar place. Clearly, he’s a talented player who needs to focus on the little things to keep weight on, as he’s not a player who naturally gains pounds. He’s 20 pounds heavier than he was at this time last year and looks the part, checking in at 284 pounds.
The other reasons for optimism include the young players that got experience last year and should grow into bigger roles this year. Durant flashed promise in a limited role last year and has continued to improve in size, topping out at 280 pounds, his heaviest yet. Despite playing less than half the number of pass-rushing snaps as the starters, Durant finished second among Penn State defensive tackles with 11 pressures, according to PFF. The undersized defensive tackle has immense promise and feels like a good bet to deliver on said promise.
PlayerTotal Pass-Rushing SnapsPressuresHakeem Beamon27819PJ Mustipher2604Dvon Ellies1525Zane Durant11411Coziah Izzard1018PFF pass-rushing metrics
This year’s injury wildcard is Izzard. The veteran defensive tackle missed the spring, but according to Franklin, he’s ready to go for fall camp. Izzard enters his fourth year with the program, and it’s reasonable to expect an increase in performance from the talented but inconsistent lineman. Last year Izzard led the defensive tackles with four quarterback hits and two sacks. While his down-to-down production isn’t on par with his teammates, Izzard has the skills to step into a major role this fall.
PlayerRun Defense snapsRun Stop %Izzard937.8Beamon1506.2Mustipher2024.6Ellies1174.4van den Berg722.8PFF run defense stops
Depth continues to improve
While they have yet to flash high-end skills, players like Ellies and van den Berg are steady presences in the rotation. Now in his third season, van den Berg is another player with a chance to take a step in production. He’s a good blend of strength and quickness that can be a disruptive force on the interior if he can put it all together.
This year’s youth wildcard is redshirt freshman Kaleb Artis. The 320-pound defensive tackle flashed during the Blue-White Game and drew praise for being ahead of schedule this year. However, he was a raw prospect out of high school, so being ahead of that curve could mean a wide delta of outcomes. He’s an exciting possibility for the rotation if he can continue to prove he’s a dependable player. Penn State desperately needs his size on the interior.
Final verdict
Yes, all those “ifs” add up to make a murky picture, much like last season. The point here is that they gained experience and didn’t lose much positive production. Mustipher was the emotional center of the team and an uber-reliable player. You could always count on him to be in his gap. But he didn’t always hold his gap or consistently make positive plays for the defense.
Replacing Mustipher in the lineup will require players like Izzard and Beamon to grow up, which should be the expectation. The fact is that most productive players per snap are returning to more prominent roles. When you factor in the talented youth of the position taking a step forward, the group’s overall production should be the same or better than last year.
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