Blue-White Countdown 2010: Linebackers

We continue our weekly countdown to the 2010 Blue-White Game. In today's edition, we'll take a look at what will be a completely revamped linebacker corps this fall, following all three starters graduating or leaving early for the 2010 NFL Draft. Over the next six weeks, I'll walk through all the major positions, trying to give the most reasoned explanation of who we could see come out big, and why.



Inside Linebacker - "Backer"

When Dan Connor graduated following the 2007 season, it was widely assumed that Sean Lee would make the same shift to the inside that the previous two great Penn State linebackers had done. Lee went down with a torn ACL in the preseason, opening up a gaping hole in the starting lineup. A little-known former walk-on stepped in for the season opener; Josh Hull went on to start the next 26 games as the Backer.

Hull and Lee are now gone, leaving a huge experience gap up the middle. Including incoming freshman phenom Mike Hull, there are only three realistic candidates for the starting Backer spot in 2010--Hull, Mike Zordich, and Chris Colasanti. Brian Irvin and James Van Fleet are capable player, but capturing the single starting spot over Hull, Zordich and Colasanti isn't very likely.

No.	Name	Pos.	Elig	Ht/Wt	High School	Coach
9	Michael Zordich	LB	rSO	6-1/225	Canfield, Ohio/Cardinal Mooney	P.J. Fecko
48	Chris Colasanti	LB	SR	6-2/238	Leonard, Mich./Brother Rice	Albert Fracassa
00	Mike Hull	LB	FR		Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan
52	Brian Irvin	LB	rSO	6-3/215	Orrtanna, Pa./Gettysburg	Sam Leedy
54	James Van Fleet	LB	rSO	6-0/216	Williamsport, Pa./Loyalsock	Richard Delaney

Penn State's playbook says the Backer position should be filled by a "powerful athlete with good judgment," and is referred to as the "Defensive Quarterback." The task facing the Nittany Lions this spring is to find that defensive quarterback. None of these players would be on the roster if they weren't physically capable of playing the positions. But over the next month and a half, Penn State will look for one to stand out with the good judgment to follow a string of great Backers.

Colasanti leads all returning Backers, with 27 career tackles over three seasons. Behind him, the pickings are quite slim. In 2009, Van Fleet made five tackles, while Zordich made three. That's it. It would seem obvious that Colasanti will gain the starting role this spring, if it weren't for that he has had trouble even getting playing time the last three seasons. Probably the two biggest shockers of the rising-senior's career came when Josh Hull beat him out for the 2008 starting spot, and then when the coaching staff did not use an available redshirt in 2009. Colasanti came to Penn State as a very highly touted recruit, stolen away from Michigan. This will be Colasanti's final season in Happy Valley, his last chance to break through.

Zordich and Mike Hull are sort of enigmas in their own ways. Zordich was caught drinking, landing him in Joe Paterno's infamous dog house early last season. He has switched from linebacker to fullback and back to linebacker in only two seasons with Penn State. Zordich redshirted in 2008.

Hull isn't even on campus, so I'm not even sure why I mentioned him in the breakdown. He will not participate in spring practice. However, you should know that he has a very, very good chance to earn a spot in the two-deep by the fall; he's that good.

Outside Linebackers - "Fritz" and "Sam"

Playing outside linebacker for Penn State would be like playing running back for USC, quarterback for Texas, or defensive back for Florida State. It would be, if it wasn't better than doing all that other stuff. You can talk all day about which school is "Quarterback U," or "Running Back U." But nothing is more prestigious than Penn State's hard-earned reputation as "Linebacker U." (By now you've figured out why I'm harping on this)

Just a few former Penn State outside linebackers: Dennis Onkotz, Jack Ham, Shane Conlan, LaVar Arrington, Brandon Short, Paul Pozluszny, Dan Connor, Sean Lee, and Navorro Bowman. Penn State also won three Bednarik Awards and a Butkus Award from 2005-2007.

Penn State splits its outside linebackers into the "Fritz" and "Sam." The Fritz is the weakside linebacker, while the Sam plays the strongside. The Fritz is the strongest linebacker, playing a combination of inside and outside positions, based on the set. The Sam is the most athletic linebacker, playing a combination of outside linebacker and safety.

With the loss of all-Americans Sean Lee and Navorro Bowman, both sides are up for grabs this spring. Senior Bani Gbadyu (pronounced "BAH-ju") is easily the most experienced linebacker, not just on the outside. Gbadyu has racked up 68 tackles over three seasons, including 37 in 2009, when he earned five starts in the middle of the season. Behind Gbadyu is the guy he stepped in for, Nate Stupar. Stupar took the injured Bowman's place in the opener last season, only to go down after two starts. Over his career, Stupar has logged 52 tackles. After him is Mike Mauti, with 26 tackles in 2008, who sat out last season with a torn ACL. Mauti was slated to start in 2009. Other than those three, none of the outside linebackers listed below have seen significant action.

No.	Name	Pos.	Elig	Ht/Wt	High School	Coach
6	Gerald Hodges	LB	SO	6-2/220	Paulsboro, NJ/Paulsboro	Glenn Howard
11	Khairi Fortt	LB	FR	6-2/225	Stamford, Conn./Stamford	Kevin Jones
15	Bani Gbadyu	LB	rSR	6-1/231	Gaithersburg, Md./Quince Orchard	Dave Mencarini
31	Nick Delligatti	LB	rFR	6-0/192	Grove City, Pa./Grove City	Jeff Bell
32	Dakota Royer	LB	FR		Manheim, Pa./Manheim Central
33	Michael Yancich	LB	rSO	6-2/233	Washington, Pa./Trinity	Ed Dalton
34	Nathan Stupar	LB	rJR	6-1/236	State College, Pa./State College Area	Al Wolski
40	Glenn Carson	LB	FR	6-3/200	Manahawkin, NJ/Southern Regional	Charles Donohue, Sr.
42	Michael Mauti	LB	rSO	6-2/231	Mandeville, La./Mandeville	Guy LeCompte
47	Ken Pollock	LB	rSO	6-0/208	Dallas, Pa./Lake Lehman	Carl Kern
00	Don Duckett (Walk-On)	LB	FR		Harrisburg, Pa./Bishop-McDevitt

It would appear that this position will be very clear cut, with Mauti, Gbadyu and Stupar duking it out for the starting spots. But there are as many as SEVEN total serious contenders for the starting outside linebacker positions. Safety-turned-linebacker Gerald Hodges, freshmen linebackers Glenn Carson (2008 grayshirt) and Khairi Fortt, and sophomore Mike Yancich are all being talked about as possible tenants for Penn State's vacancies.

I already mentioned Hodges in the defensive backs breakdown last week. Many outside of the program want to see such an athletic player stay put as a safety. But the coaching staff seems pretty certain he has a future at linebacker. Hodges' profile fits that of the Sam spot.

Carson and Fortt are both on campus this spring, and both freshmen. But Carson, a 2009 recruit, needed back surgery last summer. That kept him out for the season. He did not lose a year of eligibility because he wasn't on scholarship or a full-time student last fall. Fortt is a true freshman this spring, one of seven to graduate high school early to attend Penn State for spring practice.

Yancich is a dark horse for a starting spot, but a candidate nonetheless. The sophomore played in nine games last season, but did not register a tackle. Yancich has live game experience, and was highly recruited out of high school two years ago. Fortt's roommate, Dakota Royer, I did not mention as a serious contender because I feel he will be redshirted this season. Royer is more of a linebacker/defensive end hybrid, like Jerome Hayes played a few years ago.

Starting Linebackers in 2010...

Next week: Defensive Line

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