The Unique Perspective Justin Lustig Brings to Penn State's Special Teams

The Nittany Lions' second-year coordinator describes his approach to coaching special teams.

Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Devonte Ross (5) runs against FIU Panthers defensive back Jessiah McGrew (23) during the second quarter at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

STATE COLLEGE | Abdul Carter and Kobe King were some of Penn State’s strongest defensive players last season before they were drafted. Now in the NFL, even they play special teams.

Justin Lustig, Penn State’s special teams coordinator, is adamant about the importance of that unit. While most young players want to play offense or defense right from the start, Lustig argues otherwise.

“You’re either found on special teams or you're built on special teams,” Lustig said during Penn State’s bye week. “... So I think the pathway is always that for these young guys, is you’re going to start contributing on special teams, and that oftentimes, if you’re performing really well there, that turns into more playing time on defense.”

Lustig cited true freshman cornerback Daryus Dixson as an example. While Dixson received the green light from James Franklin at the beginning of the season to burn his redshirt, Lustig said the plays he made on special teams earned him more time with the defense. Dixson has played 77 defensive snaps through his first three games with the Nittany Lions.

“In Game 1, [Dixson] was not really slated to play a whole lot of defense,” Lustig said. “We had him on kickoff and punt return, and he was making plays, and then all of a sudden that turned into more plays for him on defense.”

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How Lustig sells his players on special teams

HUGE RETURN by King Mack! (Not Khalil Dinkins lol) pic.twitter.com/JOESd8a1g7

— LandonTengwall (@LandonTengwall) August 30, 2025

Carter was an All-American defensive end for the Nittany Lions last season, and King was an all-Big Ten linebacker. Both were drafted (Carter as the No. 3 overall pick by the New York Giants) and have begun their careers playing special teams. During the bye week, Lustig showed the teams Carter and King’s special teams tape from week two of the NFL.

“The other thing that we try to do is to just get them to see the worth of it, not only for our team but for their futures,” Lustig said. “Even if you’re a first-round pick, you're going to have to play on special teams. Abdul is starting on punt return for the Giants, and Kobe’s on all four units.”

Lustig said having depth at some special teams positions, including punt returner, was a concern for Penn State this offseason. Trebor Pena and Devonte Ross, who both transferred to Penn State to boost its wide receivers room, brought experience returning punts. Both have noticeable speed and can make the first defender miss, which is key to producing a long return, Lustig said.

“Every Monday we go through all the explosive kick returns and punt returns in college football, and when you watch them, the thing that shows up the most of the time is the guy’s making somebody miss early,” Lustig said. “... You have got to have a [returner] that makes the first guy miss, and we have done that through the first couple of games.”

Safety King Mack made his explosive kick return against Nevada. The junior compared those situations to chasing rabbits, which seems out of the ordinary, but Mack still made the first Nevada player miss, with the help of some good blocking.

Special teams plays are longer than a snap on offense or defense, and Lustig noticed a need for players to adapt and finish off blocks so more chunk gains like Mack’s are possible in games against conference opponents.

Reliability, consistency and leadership

Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Dominic DeLuca (0) celebrates after defeating the Boise State Broncos during the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Lustig has several players he relies on to lead the special teams unit. Dom DeLuca, a three-time team captain, has been a strong asset due to his ability to make consistent plays and his dedication to doing whatever is asked.

“He just works his tail off,” Lustig said. “He was in here about an hour ago wanting to watch extra special teams film, [asking], ‘How are we going to block a punt against Oregon?’ So he’s detailed.”

Tyler Duzansky, Penn State’s long snapper who was also named a captain, is someone who has been very consistent but also has made tremendous growth as a leader.

“He’s kind of been a leader by example, which, in my opinion, isn’t really a leader because you’re not really pulling people along with you, and he’s grown there,” Lustig said. “He’ll encourage guys, he’ll challenge guys. … You’ll hear him saying things like, ‘This is not how we do it here, you need to be better,’ and I hadn’t heard him saying those types of things before.”

Franklin wants Penn State to have a strong special teams backbone, especially heading into a tough game against Oregon on Sept. 27. With the personnel the Nittany Lions have this season, and the leadership of Lustig, there’s no reason that shouldn’t be possible.