Penn State assistant Terry Smith talks White Out recruiting, freshmen corners, and more

Penn State associate head coach, cornerbacks coach, and defensive recruiting coordinator Terry Smith will welcome recruits to the lounge above the south end zone tunnel before a White Out game for the 10th time as a member of James Franklin’s staff on Saturday night. Then, the Lions letterman will head down to the field and prepare his players before kickoff of a Week 4 matchup with Iowa. It’s a process that doesn’t change week to week but elicits a different kind of feeling when the stadium is full long before the game starts and everyone is wearing white from head to toe.

“It’s a beautiful sight,” Smith said Thursday. “I get out a little earlier when the team comes out and I take my headsets off and take it in every time. To hear the crowd erupt and the enthusiasm, and it’s a sea of white. It’s amazing. Everyone wins from it. It’s a delight that the football program has that impact on the university.”

All focus within an hour of 7:30 p.m. will turn to the game itself. Before that, however, recruiting will mix in with final game day preparation. Penn State is set for its biggest visit weekend of the year, per the usual. More than 80 recruits have already confirmed their plan to attend with Blue-White Illustrated.

More: How does the BWI staff think Penn State-Iowa will play out?

“It’s always very, very busy,” Smith said. “The lounge will be full. We’ll have to push guys out into the stadium in a rotation so the early guys that come in, they can go out a little bit earlier just to make room.

“It’s always a good thing. That means there is a lot of elite-level talent coming to the game. There is no game like the White Out. It’s an experience. The matchup is right. The evening and setting will be right. And we’re ready to go play in front of all these top recruits and our fans.”

How did Terry Smith end up at Penn State?

Smith has been at Penn State as long as James Franklin has. On Thursday, he recounted how he ended up with the Lions following a stint as Temple’s receivers coach.

“Ten years ago, I was coaching receivers at Temple,” Smith said. “The interview process, James called [then Owls head coach] Matt Rhule first to ask permission to talk to me. We went through that process. [Franklin] called me up, they were just getting hired [at Penn State], he had a few guys from his Vanderbilt staff that came up like Coach [Brent] Pry. We met at The Penn Stater. I can remember very vividly because that very day I had that interview was one of the days my best friend Curtis Brey passed. I got that phone call on the way back to Temple. It was a great day because I knew the interview went well but a downer day because of the loss of my my friend.

“Through the process, James had reached out to me. We got to know each other during the recruiting process when I was at Gateway [High School as the head coach and athletic director]. He felt like he needed a Pennsylvania guy who was connected and tied to Penn State. I fit the bill. And, when he interviewed me, the staff felt the same way, and here we are 10 years later.”

Hardy impresses in season debut

Penn State veteran cornerback Daequan Hardy made his season debut at Illinois. The oft-used slot defender, who may have as many career snaps as any of his current teammates, made his presence felt immediately with an interception. More big things are expected moving forward.

“We call him Dae Dae, and it’s a huge reutrn for us,” Smith said. “It solidified our back end. He’s been our starting nickel for four years now and he continues to play that role. This year, we’re playing him more on the outside. He got his interception last week. He gives us another veteran DB. This guy has played a ton of football. We’re happy to get him back.

“In his absence, Cam Miller stepped up and played that third corner role. Got his first pick last week. We’re trying to build depth, and we feel like we got four guys who can go in at any time and we got two freshmen who we’re trying to get their feet wet and by midseason hopefully they can step into a bigger role.”

Smith talks first-year cornerbacks

Penn State green-lit first-year cornerbacks Zion Tracy and Elliot Washington II to play immediately. So far, it’s been a good choice. Both are fitting well in the defensive rotation and getting plenty of reps on special teams. Speed is the hallmark of both player’s skillset at the moment. Washington II clocked one of the program’s fastest 40-yard-dash times at 4.32 seconds and has been clocked at 24 miles per hour on the field, which is a program record. And, Tracy has turned in a low 4.4-second time, too, despite pulling a hamstring five yards into one of his timed sprints.

“Elliott has great strength and power,” Smith said. “Zion has great footwork, and technique, and fundamentals. We’re just super excited about the future of these guys and to be able to groom them under guys like Kalen King and Daequan Hardy and Johnny Dixon. We just want to keep the room going and just have good bodies to learn from.

“Those [freshmen] are taking it in. We want to have them ready when that time comes. One day, they’re going to be called to the carpet and they’re going have to go out there and perform in front of the big stage. We want to have them ready when that time comes.”

Final word from Penn State cornerbacks Terry Smith

We wrap up with his comments on the top two Penn State cornerbacks, Kalen King and Johnny Dixon. He was asked first about King’s play this year and the respect opponents are showing him by rarely throwing the ball his way.

“Kalen’s done a great job preparing every week for our opponents,” Smith said. “He’s ready for when the action comes to him. What he puts on film is dominating guys at the line of scrimmage in our press-man technique. These teams are watching and they see what the scouting report says and it verifies it. He’s having a great start.”

On Dixon, Smith said:

“We knew we had an elite corner in Johnny Dixon, and that’s he rotated when we had JPJ, even before he got injured. He filled in at the end and had a big game at the Rose Bowl. He’s just showing you guys what we already knew. He’s an elite cover corner, teams have tried him deep several times. And, he’s making great plays on the ball and putting together some great film. He’s dependable and trustworthy out there.”

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