Penn State practice report: Notes and observations on the defense before Illinois
Penn State held its latest game week open practice on Wednesday as the No. 7 Nittany Lions prepare to take on Illinois. Head coach James Franklin, his staff, and their players are looking for the program’s first win over the Illini since 2021. Kickoff is set for Noon ET on FOX.
What did we learn about the defense in the middle of preparations for a matchup with the Fighting Illini? Read on to learn more below.
Penn State defense practice notes: Sept. 13
– The focus at practice each of the last two weeks has been on the players that have yet to take part in games this season. On Wednesday, the trio of Daequan Hardy, Amin Vanover, and Coziah Izzard were all present. All looked like players preparing to play in games. We’ll get James Franklin a little later on Wednesday, but all three being back jives with what we’re hearing for this weekend. Hardy was near the front of the line in cornerback drills, while both Izzard and Vanover were both mixed in through defensive line reps. There weren’t any personnel groupings to take note of during the open session.
– In a lighter moment, Hardy’s re-entrance to tackling drills this week drew some lighthearted ribbing from Manny Diaz and Stacy Collins. “Who is this guy?” Collins called out before Hardy took down Kalen King on the pad. Penn State’s cornerbacks all took a step down in the rotation with Hardy back in the lineup.
A note on the Lions’ defensive line
– With Izzard and Vanover back in the mix, Penn State’s numbers on the defensive line were somewhat replenished. Alonzo Ford and Smith Vilbert looked on, which will be the case all season, but all five defensive tackles (Izzard, Hakeem Beamon, Zane Durant, D’Von Ellies and Jordan van den Berg) and all six defensive ends (Vanover, Chop Robinson, Adisa Isaac, Dani Dennis-Sutton, Zuriah Fisher and Jameial Lyons) went through the line. There was an added end in the mix, as Joseph Mupoyi — still wearing the No. 17 representing Illinois outside linebacker Gabe Jacas — went through drills. He’s not in line to travel, but he fits in from a size perspective.
More on the latest Penn State practice
BWI’s Nate Bauer took a closer look at the offense during Wednesday’s open practice session. Take a look at what he learned by clicking here. The Lions are a 14.5-point favorite for Saturday’s meeting with the Fighting Illini.
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