Biggest Takeaway From Penn State Football's 2nd Scrimmage of Training Camp

STATE COLLEGE | Penn State scrimmaged for the second time in Beaver Stadium this past Saturday as it gears up for the season opener against Marshall on Sept. 5. Defensive ends coach Christian Smith called the scrimmage "significantly better defensively than the first one.”

The defense in particular focused on effort and communication in Beaver Stadium, particularly with its pass rush. The defensive line is one of Penn State’s major question marks heading into Week 1.

Penn State coach Matt Campbell said that a week ago he “probably would have been a little nervous” about the pass rush, which has a mix of new and returning players. But Campbell saw improvement over the past week, particularly during the scrimmage. Further, when asked about training MVPs, Campbell said that defensive end Max Granville would be a nominee.

“I thought that group had a really great week last week,” Campbell said after practice Tuesday. “When you talk about Max, when you talk about [Caleb] Bacon, when you talk about Ike [Ezeogu], when you talk about Yvan [Kemajou], when you talk about [Alex] McPherson, these are guys that keep showing up in practice. And I think the cool thing with those guys is the amount of unique things they can do.

“They can slide inside, they can play outside. There's a lot of different things those guys can do, and I think that's been the really cool thing about not slowing down in terms of installation and continuing to press forward. … That group's got a chance to do some really positive things for us. I think when you look at just that front seven in general, there are some guys that have the ability to put great pressure on the quarterback at times that are certainly really athletic and can do different things.”

Major change on the defensive line

Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Max Granville (18) arrives for football media day in Holuba Hall. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The defensive line is probably the team’s most-changed position group from last year. In particular, Penn State lost seven defensive ends to the transfer portal and 16 linemen overall between the portal and NFL. The Nittany Lions signed seven transfers to their defensive line this offseason.

Only two players from the defensive line who played meaningful reps in 2025 have returned: Kemajou and tackle Ty Blanding. And this year’s primary rotation of linemen will include just two who have taken snaps for the Nittany Lions: ends Kemajou and Granville.

The newcomers include two UCLA transfers, tackles Siale Taupaki and Keanu Williams, who played for defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn three years ago. Ezeogu, a redshirt senior from Iowa State, should have one edge-rushing position locked. McPherson, a Colorado transfer, will compete for playing time in the rotation as well.

Which is why Lynn emphasized pass rush during Saturday’s scrimmage.

“I thought D’Anton did a great job,” defensive line coach Ikaika Malloe said. “Coach Lynn had a pass-rush unit going out there, and just for them to work together [was important]. We're not just four guys trying to speed rush. Those guys are learning each other and learning how to fit off each other. I think the steps are moving forward. We're starting to put things together.”

Malloe said the team feels confident in the defensive line’s run-stopping abilities and that the coaches are trying to “gear up” the pass rush to a certain point before they begin game-planning. Saturday provided a step in the right direction.

Smith said overall the communication, more specifically the nonverbal communication, of the defensive line improved. Several scrimmage moments stuck out to Smith, notably Granville manufacturing a “big tackle for loss” and freshman edge Jackson Ford and redshirt freshman Dayshaun Burnett both registering sacks.

“Our technique has come a long way in some of the small wins that may not be big plays, splash plays that you would look at,” Smith said. “I think our individual techniques have improved drastically, and that's what we challenge the guys to do. And I think the consistency in our techniques will show up for us to make a ton of plays this upcoming fall.”

As for what else the unit — and maybe overall team — gained from Saturday’s scrimmage, Smith said just the ability to play in Beaver Stadium before Week 1 was “powerful.”

“Sometimes the stadium has a different power in itself, just being there,” Smith said. “Some guys sometimes can get outside of themselves. So, just as many times as we can get into the stadium, it's been huge for us to continue to take that jump. So the first time they show up in that stadium [they’ll be more comfortable]. The only people that've played football in that stadium are Max and Yvan.”

Penn State Nittany Lions defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn talks to reporters during football media day in Holuba Hall. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

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