ISO: A Pass Rusher for Penn State's Defense
Manny Diaz, Penn State's new defensive coordinator, describes his theory of pass coverage like this.
"My philosophy is, the best coverage is pass rush," Diaz told reporters after his eighth spring practice session with the team. "And that's been a big point we’ve been trying to make throughout camp: trying to get our sack numbers up, get our tackles for loss numbers up and our disruption numbers up."
To help accomplish that, Penn State also is looking for at least one more high-end pass rusher, perhaps someone to replace All-American Arnold Ebiketie. So the Lions are headed back to the NCAA Transfer Portal.
Head coach James Franklin said that he's "obviously" researching edge rushers in the portal, hoping to find one who can make the kind of impact Ebiketie did last season. After transferring from Temple, Ebiketie led the Big Ten in tackles for loss (18), paced the Lions in sacks (9.5) and launched himself into the conversation as a first-round NFL Draft pick.
Penn State does bring back some talent and experience at defensive end. Nick Tarburton is a returning starter whom Franklin called an emerging leader. Smith Vilbert made three sacks in the Outback Bowl, and recent recruiting classes have included promising players like Davon Townley, Jr., Amin Vanover and Zuriah Fisher. The highly recruited Dani Dennis-Sutton arrives this summer as well.
In addition, Adisa Isaac has drawn significant praise this spring after missing last season because of an injury. In fact, Diaz quickly has become a big fan.
"He just has some things you can't teach in terms of athleticism, his ability to bend and turn the corner, his length, the way he can get his hands on offensive linemen," Diaz said. "We’re excited to see him grow in his role every day. ... Great players affect other guys that they play with, and I think that Adisa Isaac has the chance to be that guy."
Still, Franklin said he's looking for more consistency at the position. Penn State last season ranked third in the Big Ten in tackles for loss (84) but eighth in sacks (27). Tarburton had one sack last season, while Isaac has not played since 2020.
"We need more consistent edge pressure," Franklin said. "So between the guys we have, and obviously we're looking into the portal with that, very similar with what we did with AK. We've got to find somebody who can come in and help us with edge pressure and affecting the quarterback."
Diaz is on board with researching the portal for defensive ends, noting that he had success bringing in transfer players while head coach at Miami. However, like Franklin, Diaz offers conditions when bringing in transfers.
"Our philosophies are very much aligned," Diaz said of him and Franklin regarding the portal. "... The number one thing is locker-room morale; that if we bring in this guy, the team will understand why. And if you look at the experience last year at Penn State, with AK and [tackle Derrick Tangelo], those guys transformed how they played up front.
"To have success in the portal, you have to know why they're leaving and know what they’re looking for, because you don’t want to bring a problem into your locker room. So there’s a lot of homework to be done. ... It's not fantasy football."
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