Analysis: Nittany Lions need more from linebackers in 2021

ALTOONA, Pa. -- From Jack Ham to LaVar Arrington to Sean Lee to Micah Parsons, the line of elite linebackers who have come out of Penn State has seemingly been going on forever. However, despite that history and tradition, the linebacker position last season was far from a position of strength in 2020.

Losing Parsons before the season even started started a snowball effect where players were forced to play out of position and it just never seemed like the Nittany Lions were able to catch up. Of course, the blame can be spread throughout the program for the horrid start to the season, but Penn State's linebackers didn't do much to help the cause either.

From missed tackles to missed assignments what was an experienced position group often seemed much like they'd not been introduced to the game of football until the day before the game. Bad reads and missed assignments will happen and sometimes they will end up helping rather than hurting.

Those missed assignments often came as a result of defensive coordinator Brent Pry's aggressive scheme and rightfully so. Not every play works to perfection nor will that ever be the case, but throughout 2020 that aggression rarely paid off and often had the linebackers out of position and when they were in position they couldn't secure the tackle. 

Gone is Lance Dixon, who entered the transfer portal, but Penn State returns each starter from last season in Ellis Brooks at middle linebacker and Jesse Luketa and Brandon Smith at outside linebacker. Though athletic and experienced, the trio was prone to missed tackles early on and while some of that is the result of the way the Nittany Lions were practicing, those types of things shouldn't happen with or without the appropriate practice reps. 

Having those three in the fold is great for Penn State in regards to consistency and understanding what to expect when they're on the field. For the Nittany Lions to take the next step though, they will need the trio to be more consistent in game play and in their roles. 

Smith has the athleticism and skillsets to be an impact players each and every play and join the upper echelon of great Penn State linebackers like those mentioned above. The experience has now come and the 2021 season will be an excellent opportunity to take that next step.

A sophomore, Smith saw the field sparingly as a freshman in 2019, but proved he belonged time and time again. Smith packs a big punch when he's in the open field and that's seen in the clip below in a big way.

Not only can Smith bring the boom in tackling, he's also more than capable of playing downfield in coverage and is athletic enough to handle coverage responsibility on tight ends and slot receivers as well. 

The ability is there and with his valuable experience in 2020, Smith has everything necessary to make the jump to a great linebacker this season for Penn State.

If there was a player impacted the most by the departure of Parsons, it was Luketa who was forced to fill that role a little sooner than expected. The Canadian linebacker - who trains with Philadelphia Flyers center Claude Giroux in Canada - started eight of the nine games for Penn State and finished second on the team with 59 tackles, 31 of which were solo. 

Parsons leaving left the door open for Luketa to excel whether he was ready to or not and he performed admirably in Parsons' absence. Where Luketa's presence was felt most was as a team captain and one of the players who led the way in turning the season around.

That personal growth as a leader and teammate coupled with his performance on the field sets Luketa up with what could be a largely successful season in 2021. As one of the older, more experienced players Luketa has taken on the leadership role with ease and was often one of the more outspoken players when the Nittany Lions were struggling to start the season. 

Between Luketa and Smith is Brooks who started all nine games and led the team with 60 tackles in 2020. Brooks benefitted most from Pry's aggressive scheme as he notched 5.5 sacks putting him fourth on the team. 

He's a heavy hitter with solid instincts and a wealth of experience appearing in 35 games at Penn State. As the clip shows, he's not afraid to be aggressive and often will find himself in the backfield quite a bit throughout the course of the game. 

The linebacker trio turned it up later in the season in 2020 and the experience they got will undoubtedly help them in 2021 which is exactly what the Nittany Lions need defensively. The linebacker group will return the most experience and as the centerpiece of the defense it will be up to them to lead the way for Pry's aggressive style. 

Their athleticism and raw talent put them among the best groups in the Big Ten and with spring practice looming, Luketa, Brooks and Smith could all put a big emphasis on their growth on the field with a solid performance this spring. It's no surprise Penn State will need more out of its linebackers in 2021 and with this trio, that shouldn't be a problem for the Nittany Lions.