But the secondary is not complete with just the corners. Safeties coach Deon Broomfield\u2019s safety unit has seen some massive changes over the last few weeks.<\/p>\n
The most notable move has been the near-total exclusion of standout Iowa State safety transfer Marcus Neal Jr., who didn\u2019t play at all against USC and got only 11 snaps against Michigan.<\/p>\n
\u201cMarcus\u2019 situation in both games is a little bit unique. USC is a unique football game in terms of the skill. We wanted to try and do a great job matching skill with skill, and I thought we did that,\u201d Matt Campbell said Tuesday. \u201cI don\u2019t know if we always executed to our precision and detail, but I thought we gave ourselves the best chance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Campbell said after the USC game coverage was at a \u201cpremium.\u201d As the game sped up and USC forced Penn State to play in space on the back end, Campbell and the coaching staff chose to emphasize coverage more than tackling at safety. <\/p>\n
But still, absolutely no snaps in the biggest game of the season for one of your top transfers? The move was completely out of left field, especially after he played 39 and 35 downs against Wisconsin and Northwestern, respectively. <\/p>\n
Safety Jeremiah Cooper also faced a sharp decline in action in the Big House after playing 43 snaps in Week 6. Cooper saw seven plays on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Campbell attributed Cooper\u2019s lack of run to physical struggles throughout the week leading up to Michigan. Cooper tore his ACL at Iowa State a season ago, and his workload through the first three weeks of Big Ten play seems to have put a lot of stress on the redshirt senior.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the one player whose in-game reps have increased is Jamison Patton. He got his most Big Ten snaps against Michigan, where he recorded five total tackles.<\/p>\n
\u201cLast week I thought Jamison Patton played the best game of his career, played a great football game,\u201d Campbell said. <\/p>\n
While Patton, Cooper, and Neal all followed Campbell from Iowa State, Campbell admitted the moving parts from different backgrounds have made it hard for the defense to fully flow.<\/p>\n
Neal\u2019s 11 snaps over the last two weeks could be a sign of that, especially given how highly regarded he was heading into the season.<\/p>\n
And that\u2019s not necessarily a Campbell issue. It bled in from James Franklin\u2019s time, too. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the fifth defensive coordinator in five years here. I think you blended a lot of different players and trying to uncover what those players can do and try and put those players in a great situation for them to use their talents the best way possible. And we knew that would take a little bit of time to get ourselves there,\u201d Campbell said. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s important to remember D\u2019Anton Lynn wasn\u2019t necessarily the first choice in mind for Penn State\u2019s defensive coordinator job. Many expected former Iowa State defensive coordinator Jon Heacock to take on the role in Happy Valley, but he retired before the first big rush of transfers arrived.<\/p>\n
Keep in mind, players weren\u2019t misled. Neal, Cooper, and Patton all committed to transfer to Penn State after Lynn was hired. But Lynn is also one of the few coaches on the staff with little connection to any players before this season. He coached at USC for his two previous years.<\/p>\n
Whatever the disconnect is, Neal specifically has been one of Penn State\u2019s biggest mysteries. Campbell\u2019s implication that his star safety isn\u2019t very good in coverage is concerning. <\/p>\n
Campbell noted in the week following the USC game that Neal could sneak his way into a linebacker role, and he does certainly have the build for it at 6-foot-1, 216 pounds. His style of play also matches the linebacker position more. His nickname is Shark because of how much he hit everything when he got to Iowa State as a freshman.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe [Neal] just has a knack for it, too. He\u2019s just a physical dude,\u201d Caleb Bacon said after practice on October 14. \u201cHe wants to run down and hit somebody. Doesn\u2019t care about his body or anything else. He just wants to make plays and make tackles.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bacon said Neal joined the linebacker group in specific drills, but nothing too substantial. Bacon himself changed positions from linebacker to defensive end before the season opener against Marshall.<\/p>\n
No matter what\u2019s in store for Neal after a questionable run of games, Campbell and Bacon still have belief in Shark.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think he cares about anything besides for football and his next opportunity,\u201d Bacon said. \u201cI think he takes it [his benching] as a coaching moment and can go from there. He\u2019s been the same positive guy \u2026 Wherever he can help us the most, I think he\u2019s leaning in that role.\u201d<\/p>\n
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