Penn State’s new offensive coordinator talks about Beau Pribula’s “elite athleticism”
The Central York University graduate and redshirt sophomore QB is expected to play a larger role in the newly formed offense under new OC Andy Kotelnicki.
The Penn State football team will introduce two new cornerbacks.
There will certainly be three on the field at times.
What’s more, any of the top six members of this room could truly vie to be the best pass defender when the Nittany Lions travel to West Virginia and spend the month of September at Beaver Stadium.
This could be the deepest and most competitive cornerback room since assistant Terry Smith took over under head coach James Franklin. Has there ever been another one that showed more promise?
That’s a strong statement considering Penn State lost its three best cornerbacks after last season.
The rebuild actually began in full force during the Peach Bowl loss to Mississippi, when Cam Miller and freshmen Eliott Washington and Zion Tracy lost their starting spots.
It continued when the Lions acquired high-profile transfers AJ Harris and Jalen Kimber from the SEC. Harris, a former five-star recruit, is perhaps the most talented of the group and Kimber, who was a starter at Florida last season, is the most experienced.
But what does this mean, even in the best sense?
For example, Audavion Collins, a redshirt sophomore, was frequently cited as one of the most improved players on the entire team.
“There’s a saying in this room that we all think we can eat…” Smith said in early August.
Although Penn State’s 2023 cornerback group was highly regarded (Kalen King was a preseason All-America candidate) and robust (ranked 11th nationally in passing efficiency defense), “we feel like athletically that position could be better from top to bottom,” Franklin said.
Penn State Preview: A Positional Breakdown
Penn State Cornerback Depth Chart
- 3 | Jalen Kimber | 6-0, 188 |
- 4 | AJ Harris | 6-1, 191 | So.
- 5| Cam Miller | 6-0, 182 |
- 29 | Audavion Collins | 5-11, 178 | So.
- 16 | Eliott Washington | 5-11, 194 | So.
- 7 | Zion Tracy | 5-11, 183 | So.
Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and the USA Today Network. You can reach him at [email protected] and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.
