Sizing up Penn State LB battle, Ellis Brooks cites key characteristics

Penn State head coach James Franklin called the battle for Mike linebacker “one of the big question marks in spring ball.”

At the program’s Pro Day on Thursday at Holuba Hall, departing starter Ellis Brooks demonstrated why. 

Pleased with his performance, and the feedback he’s gotten while leading into what he hopes will be the start of an NFL career, Brooks leaves major shoes to fill. In his 47 career games played as a Nittany Lion, including 20 starts, his performances led to 230 career tackles and, a record that NFL franchises can recognize on tape.

“That they really liked my film, just how I do my job,” Brooks said. “I feel like that’s the key to the game is, whatever your job is in the defense, consistently do it. And I don’t feel like a lot of people in the country can do that better than me in terms of play after play, how you grade out, no execution errors, no mental errors. 

“You’re in the right gap every single time, you’re in the right zone drop every single time. You communicate on the field. My preparation, how much I knew the defense, how much I know football, it’s something that they saw, obviously through the film and when they got me on the board, they saw that.”

The task for Penn State defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Manny Diaz is to replace that this spring.

As Franklin detailed at his press conference kicking off the program’s practices, Tyler Elsdon and Kobe King are the primary competitors vying for the opportunity. 

Promising “a ton of reps” to the pair this spring, the experience will dwarf anything previously established for either player. 

Penn State’s Mike linebacker competitors

In Elsdon, the Nittany Lions have a rising third-year linebacker with just one appearance in his first season in the program, but 12 during the 2021 campaign. A steady presence on special teams, Elsdon picked up 74 snaps on defense, including 26 in the Outback Bowl in Brooks’ absence going into his redshirt sophomore spring.

A true freshman last year, King worked the same position, picking up early-season action during the nonconference schedule. Still, according to Brooks, the practice time demonstrated abilities for both players that have started to manifest themselves this spring.

When asked to size up the competition, he did acknowledge Elsdon’s experience as something of a differentiating factor.

“They’re two competitors. Both of them love football. They both want to be the guy. And they’re gonna push each other every single day to get better,” rooks said. “I feel like Tyler’s doing a good job of commanding the defense, at least from what I see right now. But Kobe’s learning how to do that. He’s getting that aspect.”

Coming out of a career in which he was a mainstay at the position at Penn State, Brooks also noted what’s important to do the job well. 

Describing the characteristics that he sought to bring to the field, Brooks said Penn State will look to have the same moving forward.

“Mike linebacker, you got to be the best communicator on the field. Get everybody lined up. Make sure we’re all a unit, working all on the same page. That’s probably the biggest thing I’d say is communicating,” Brooks said. “And, honestly, tenacity. I feel like something else I try to bring in my game is to be a tone-setter. You watch film, you see somebody jumping over a pile, you see somebody laying in their body out. 

“I want you to be like, ’13 plays hard.’ That’s something I feel like the Mike linebacker should always bring. Be the tone-setter.”

Another perspective

Providing his take on the competition this spring, fellow linebacker Brandon Smith shared a similar sentiment.

Between the opportunity at hand and the approach to the game already shown, Smith is expecting an intense competition.

“They’re both young guys, they both study the game, they’re both knowledgeable,” Smith said. “They’re both aggressive, hit hard. 

“Those guys, they’re gonna battle, and at the end of the day, whoever’s first or second, there’s not gonna be any bad blood. They know exactly what the situation is. They’re both gonna do whatever they can to get on the field and perform.”

The first week of spring practices at hand, Brooks said the competition itself is what will propel play to be better. 

“Both of them are very talented, athletic kids,” Brooks said. “They’re just gonna be able to go out there and make plays and push each other.”