STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Linebacker-U doesn't have a starting middle linebacker nailed down just yet and don't look for Penn State to figure out that position battle until right before the season starts.
Among the candidates is Cam Brown, who was approached about moving to middle linebacker in the lead up to the Fiesta Bowl. It wasn't all that surprising given Penn State was losing mainstay 'Mike' linebacker Jason Cabinda to graduation and the other candidates lacked experience or in the case of Micah Parsons weren't even on campus yet.
"The position I've played most [this spring] is probably 'Mike.' A little bit of 'Sam' in between," Brown said Tuesday. "I'm pretty comfortable at 'Mike' right now. I've got to get a little more vocal in my calls and reassuring the defense on what the call is. Other than that, I feel really comfortable."
Brown worked in the middle during practice Monday night and was flanked by Parsons, who moved from the Mike to Will this spring, and a combination of Koa Farmer and Jarvis Miller at Sam. Jan Johnson, Ellis Brooks and Jake Cooper are also candidates for the middle linebacker spot and there are so many moving pieces within that position group that Penn State purposely hasn't released a spring depth chart.
Brown, a junior who is listed at 6-5, 222 pounds, said his goal this winter was to continue gaining weight and to get stronger. That was going to need to happen regardless of what spot he lined up at and while he played the 'Will' before, during the offseason defensive coordinator Brent Pry continued to be in his ear about honing in on the 'Mike' too.
"Making calls and ID'ing a defense is going to be a little bit of work for me," Brown said, adding that being vocal doesn't come naturally to him but that he's also working on. "It's been a challenge this spring trying to figure out playing 'Mike' and not 'Will.' When I am in there, having older guys in the lineup, especially on the d-line, helps because they know where they're going already and they need me just for the last-second assistance. I'm feeling like, playing with the younger guys has helped me make sure I know the calls so the defense isn't all messed up. I'm learning step by step, day by day."
James Franklin said this week that what he's looking for from that middle linebacker is somebody who both physically can handle the position and also has the necessary leadership skills to bark out the calls. Cabinda's leadership won't be easily replaced, but somebody has to take the reins.
The depth up the middle of the defense right now is not the team's strength. Behind Kevin Givens and Rob Windsor there's a lot of unknowns, namely with a trio of redshirt freshmen and also redshirt sophomore Antonio Shelton being relied on to factor into what has always been a deep rotation that Sean Spencer likes to use.
“We’ll be pretty far into camp before we decide because we’ve got some pretty inexperienced guys and some veteran guys that are battling for that spot," Franklin said of the 'Mike.' "For me, the picture hasn’t cleaned up yet. Coach Pry kind of feels the same way. It’s not one thing. It’s a combination of all those things.”
Brown has had to look to his left and to his right countless times this spring to see who was working alongside him. The picture on the outside isn't much clearer since a lot of this linebacking corps will depend on where Brown plays. Parsons' work at the 'Will' has energized the team as he's flashed the type of athleticism that backs the five-star ranking while continuing to work through the inevitable ups and downs that come with adjusting to college football.
Parsons' pass rush skills have impressed Brown this spring and so too have some of the more athletic plays the the former Harrisburg High Schooler just seems to have a knack for making. Regardless of who Penn State ends up putting where and if Brown can step into the role in the middle or if he gets bumped back outside, they're going to need playmakers to develop out of this linebacking corps.
For the time being though they're just trying to learn as much as they can at every spot. How could that translate to the depth chart should the season start this weekend? Simply put: Don't put too much stock into who starts Saturday afternoon during the Blue-White game.
"I honestly couldn't tell you," Brown said of the depth at all three spots. "It's kind of up in the air. Guys are still moving around, especially me. Coach is trying to find out who fits best in what positions. It'll depend on how summer and camp goes. I couldn't tell you right now."
QUICK HITS
• Defensive end Shareef Miller spoke with the media Tuesday as well and said his primary focus this offseason was on his hand accuracy. Needing to refine his technique, Miller found help from an old yet familiar face: Former Nittany Lion pass rusher and Philadelphia native Deion Barnes.
"That was something he noticed of watching film of me," said Miller, adding that he's known Barnes since long before he enrolled in college. "My eyes and my hands were not at the same level so that’s why I’d keep throwing my hands at my target and I’d keep missing so he just had me like drills that when I rush really look at my target and get accurate with my hands."
• Kevin Givens has played a lot of football at Penn State, but now is the unquestioned starter inside this season. He's shown his versatility and quick twitch as he's worked inside and out in seasons past, but also did a nice job stuffing Miles Sanders in a recent practice, Miller said.
"The offense they tried to zone read the 3-tech and Kev just sat there and Trace [McSorley] had to make a decision and when he gave the ball to Miles he was right there to make the tackle," Miller said. "That was real good for our defense to make that play. He was sitting there to make that play. That was impressive.”
• The good news? The Penn State defense actually had four picks during practice on Monday. While the media only saw two of them at the end, picks by Nick Scott and Jabari Butler, Jesse Luketa and Garrett Taylor also had interceptions, Brown said. That practice might've been their best of the 13 so far, Brown added.
The bad news? The offense turned the ball over four times, although of course it wasn't all from the first-team offense.
• Nick Tarburton moved from linebacker to defensive end quickly after his arrival, though Franklin said all along he sensed that Tarburton with his size would end up as a defensive end. The January enrollee has already impressed teammates.
"We call him little T.J. Watt," Miller said. "He’s gonna be real good. He plays real fast and he’s real aggressive he just doesn’t have the technique yet but he’s still learning but once he gets the technique and stuff I think he’s going to be real good. I think it was a real good change for him. He’s real raw so he just needs technique and stuff like that and just needs to keep working and learning everyday. Guys like me and [Ryan] Buchholz are going to help him but he’s going to be real good. He plays fast and he’s aggressive. Once he gets his technique down he’s going to be real good.”
• I sat down with Taylor and running backs coach/recruiting coordinator Ja'Juan Seider Tuesday afternoon for a few pieces I'm working on. By all accounts this has been an impressive spring for Taylor, who is penciled in as the starting safety opposite Scott. I'll have much more on Taylor's time at Penn State for a feature on Thursday.