Linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden never began the season with three new starting linebackers.
But since 2001, when Vanderlinden joined Penn State’s staff, there has never been a linebacker corps as deep as this season’s.
“We have a multitude of guys that can play at a high level,” Vanderlinden said, “so I think this will be the first year in my tenure here that we’ll play a lot of guys.”
Replacing Sean Lee, NaVorro Bowman and Josh Hull won’t be an easy task, but instead of the normal three replacements, Penn State has a contingent six players deep with 186 combined career tackles.
The depth redshirt sophomore Michael Mauti, senior Chris Colasanti, redshirt senior Bani Gbadyu, redshirt junior Nate Stupar, sophomore Gerald Hodges and redshirt sophomore Michael Yancich bring to the defense rivals its defensive line, which uses a heavy dose of bodies to stay fresh.
Even Penn State football historian Lou Prato said he doesn’t ever remember the Nittany Lions being as deep at linebacker as they are this season.
Part of that depth is Mauti, who pushed Hull for the starting middle linebacker spot last season before tearing the ACL in his right knee in preseason. He spent much of his rehab time studying film and believes the year out has helped him grow as a player on the field.
“Things slow down a little bit when you know what you’re doing,” Mauti said. “It’s just one step quicker to the ball, one step faster.”
Vanderlinden said younger players have also stepped up along with older linebackers, such as Mauti, Colasanti and Stupar. Vanderlinden didn’t think much separated the older players from the younger ones, aside from experience.
“The guys taking over, like Bani and Chris Colasanti, have been here now, Bani four years and Chris three years, and I think they’re very confident players,” Vanderlinden said. “They’ve both played since freshman year, and so, I think they both feel like they’re good players, and they’ve just been waiting for their opportunity.”
Though starters have yet to be identified, Gbadyu holds down the weak-side position, Mauti and Stupar compete for the strong-side spot and Colasanti is the frontrunner in the middle.
Despite all the talk, the deep linebacker contingent doesn’t guarantee a rotation will be implemented. On Media Day, Colasanti wouldn’t say whether a rotation was likely or not.
The competition at linebacker has pleased head coach Joe Paterno, and he said he isn’t counting on one guy to carry the load.
“Hopefully they’ll play up to their potential, that a couple guys will come to the front,” Paterno said. “But I don’t have any, ‘This guy has got to make X number of tackles. This guy has got to make three interceptions,’ that kind of stuff. Hopefully we have a couple of kids that are going to make some plays in the clutch because of their ability.”