Penn State stacked at linebacker, other key positions

IF THE HOARDING of four- and five-star high school linebackers provided the surest route to success in big-time college football, Penn State would contend for the national championship every season. Surely, the Nittany Lions would be among the elite teams again this year.

Despite the departure of all three starting linebackers from last season's 11-2 team - Sean Lee, Navorro Bowman and Josh Hull were all selected in the NFL draft - the Nits are, if anything, even deeper this time around. The new starters, senior Chris Colasanti in the middle flanked by senior Bani Gbadyu and redshirt junior Nate Stupar - all are former blue-chip prospects, and they're backed by a group with equally shiny prep credentials. Sophomores Michael Mauti, Gerald Hodges and Michael Yancich all could start for any number of college teams, and behind them is freshman Khairi Fortt, one of the most heavily recruited players in country. He's probably content to wait his turn, which is often the case for inexperienced linebackers in Happy Valley.

"Waiting 3 years has made me realize how important this opportunity is, and how blessed I truly am to be getting it," said Colasanti, who has been a reserve since he arrived from Brother Rice High in Michigan in the summer of 2007.

Penn State linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden acknowledges that the school's "Linebacker U" reputation is a big lure for those who want to follow in the footsteps of such legendary 'backers as Dennis Onkotz, Jack Ham, Charlie Zapiec, John Skorupan, Greg Buttle, Shane Conlan, LaVar Arrington and, more recently, Paul Posluszny and Dan Connor.

"We've really got a good depth situation," Vanderlinden said. "I do anticipate playing a lot of guys. Really, I feel as good as I possibly could for someone losing three good players who all got drafted. We're very fortunate to have a multitude of guys that can play at a high level."

Ah, but does that surplus of linebacking talent throw passes? Can it put on a few pounds and play on the offensive line? Line up at tight end? Move a few paces back and line up in the secondary?

The fact that Penn State again goes into a season nationally ranked - No. 14 by USA Today and No. 19 by the Associated Press - reflects the fact that there are quite a few good players at coach Joe Paterno's disposal, as well as voters' memories of the recent past. From 2005 through 2009, Penn State won 51 games. College football fans, after a down period in which Paterno's teams went an uncharacteristic 26-33 from 2000 through 2004, have gotten reaccustomed to Penn State's upper-tier status.

But despite obvious strengths - the wide receiving corps, for one, and soon-to-be-school-career-rushing-leader Evan Royster - these Lions have as many areas of concern. That lack of depth or identifiable star power at other positions has stamped Paterno's 45th edition as a team teetering on the fence. Can Penn State justify and even improve upon its early national rankings? Or will its possible shortcomings be exposed in critical road games at national champion Alabama (Sept. 11), nemesis Iowa (Oct. 2) and traditional Big Ten bully Ohio State (Nov. 13)?

If Pat Devlin had Colasanti's patience, he would be entering his first and final full season at Penn State as a fully groomed quarterback, another understudy ready to assume center stage. But Devlin chafed at being beaten out by Daryll Clark in 2008 and transferred to Delaware, where he will quarterback the Blue Hens this season. That leaves Paterno, offensive coordinator Galen Hall and QB coach Jay Paterno to debate the merits of three unproven commodities, sophomore Kevin Newsome, redshirt soph Matt McGloin and freshman Robert Bolden, whose aggregate game experience could fit inside a thimble.

Royster is only 481 yards shy of the PSU career rushing record set by the great Curt Warner, but his quest for a third consecutive 1,000-yard season could be blunted by a failure of those wet-behind-the-ears quarterbacks to establish enough of a passing threat to take pressure off him, or by inconsistency along an offensive line that boasts only one bona fide standout, 4-year starter and preseason All-America guard Stefen Wisniewski.

If the line can keep the heat off the quarterback of the moment and create some running lanes for Royster, speedy backup Stephfon Green and bruising, 237-pound redshirt freshman Curtis Dukes, scoring shouldn't be much of a problem. Certainly Newsome, McGloin or Bolden - maybe all three before this season is over - have a wide variety of wide receivers to aim at, from the tiny (5-7, 157-pound speedster Devon Smith) to the tall (6-6, 246-pound Brett Brackett).

The defensive line is minus Jared Odrick, selected in the first round of the draft by the Miami Dolphins, but senior Ollie Ogbu - with a team-best 22 starts to his resumé - and massive Devon Still, who watched and learned from Odrick last season - should be fine at the tackles, and London-born Jack Crawford is a pass-rushing force off the edge. The d-backs don't come with the same manufacturer's warranty, but hero (strong safety) Drew Astorino is a 5-10, 193-pounder with a linebacker's mentality and a knack for drilling receivers and ballcarriers who dare enter his territory.

In addition to Royster's likelihood of ascending to the top of the career rushing list, Paterno - who sets some sort of record every time his team wins a game - is six victories shy of the ultra-rare 400-win club, and it's also the 50th season of Beaver Stadium.

That's a lot of milestones to celebrate. But the party won't seem as raucous if the Nits fall to keep pace with their work in recent seasons and slip to, say, 8-4 - not bad by most standards, but a bitter pill to swallow for a program that has come to again enjoy the view from atop Mount Nittany. *