To bolster Penn State D, Curtis Jacobs leans in on position flexibility
Ahead of Penn State football’s 2022 season, Curtis Jacobs’ move in the linebacker room was framed as mutually beneficial. Trading his spot at the Sam for a starting role at Will, the third-year Nittany Lion filled arguably the most important spot in the unit under defensive coordinator Manny Diaz.
The results were largely positive for Jacobs, despite the learning curve. Though starting the season haltingly, Jacobs turned a corner into a steady state of playmaking and production through much of the campaign’s back half.
That included a pick-six at Michigan, a career-high 14 tackles in a White Out win over Minnesota, a forced fumble at Rutgers, and two sacks against Utah in the Rose Bowl. Opting to return to Penn State for a fourth season over NFL flirtations this offseason, the question for Jacobs this spring is straightforward: What’s next?
Meeting with the media last week, from the sounds of it, the answer is a little bit of everything.
“I’ve spent time at Will and Sam and I’ve also spent time learning Mike just in case,” Jacobs said. “I try to be prepared in all situations.”
Penn State linebacker positioning
Last year, the emergence of true freshman linebacker Abdul Carter demanded it. Already trained as a Sam, Jacobs spent time playing both positions as the pair proved critical to the defense’s success.
Describing Carter as a “special player” poised to do “great things” this season, the perspective of Jacobs has been one of selflessness this spring. Understood to be practicing at both outside spots through the first three weeks of the spring session, with the learning process underway at the Mike as well, Jacobs and Carter are trending toward ubiquity.
If prepared for all possibilities, Diaz can utilize both players to those ends. It’s a scenario Jacobs has fully embraced.
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“I try to make myself flexible. You know I’m going to do whatever it takes to get the best three linebackers on the field,” Jacobs said. “So, if that means I gotta play Mike, Will, or Sam, I’m going to do that.”
Next steps
In the process, Jacobs has also helped solidify his place as a leader in the room. With captain Jon Sutherland exhausting his six years of eligibility, Penn State’s other linebackers have turned to Jacobs as an important piece of the puzzle both on and off the field this offseason.
“It’s really important because he’s a veteran guy,” Carter said this winter. “He knows the game. He’s been here for a while. So, him being on the field with us, that’s huge for next year.”
Finishing the 2022 season with 52 tackles, 7.5 TFL, and four sacks, Jacobs remains intent on more. Considering the flexibility shown thus far as a critical ingredient to that formula, it’s one he’s determined to continue to make for the Nittany Lions moving forward.
“Honestly, it’s all the same. We try to work as a group, so it’s all three of us on one accord,” Jacobs said. “So honestly, just to make myself better at Will, I need to learn Mike. That’s so I can honestly know all of that. (I can) know where my help is coming from and where my leverage is.”
