Penn State Prototype: Building an ideal Nittany Lion MIKE Linebacker

We’re studying Penn State’s offense and defense this offseason to understand the Nittany Lions positional needs better heading into spring football. Previously, we took a look at the offensive line to understand what skills are necessary to play certain positions. This knowledge gives us a chance to better fit players at jobs in our projections. This week we’ll be taking a look at linebacker. 

While there are physical dimensions and positional skills needed to fulfill each position, linebacker is best described by their assignments rather than their traits. The offensive and defensive lines define their matchups, so their physical skills are more concrete. However, skill position players interact with different positions on every play, and there is a greater latitude of body types and talents that succeed. With that in mind, we’ll take a look at the man in the middle, the Mike linebacker. 

Ideal Measurements

• Height: 6-1 to 6-3
• Weight: 230-245 lbs
• Arm Length: 32+ inche

Penn State Prototype: Measurements explained

This part may be the most challenging section to write because football teams have not solved the problem of finding the perfect Mike linebacker. With all due respect to the Will and Edge, no position has come under fire more than the middle linebacker in most defenses. The ‘ideal’ linebacker used to have 33+ inch arms and weighed over 240-pounds to duel with an offensive lineman. They also had to be good enough athletes to cover short zones in the middle of the field to prevent teams from throwing the ball to tight ends on short pass patterns off of play-action.  

With the introduction of the spread offense, the MIKE linebacker will sometimes find themselves alone on an island in the middle of the defense as the last line of run defense.

When you fold in the run-pass option, which has taken hold at all levels of football, the Mike linebacker is under siege, unlike any position on defense. It’s a player that, at times, cannot be correct. 

For those that don’t know, a run-pass option or RPO is a called run play where the quarterback has the option to pull the ball at the last second and throw a pass. The goal is to penalize linebackers for attacking the line of scrimmage in run defense. 

How do you find a big enough player to take on linemen in the running game while still having the speed to cover the middle of the field? In addition, this position has to simultaneously deal with deep crossing routes and quarterbacks that run like a loose moose in the Canadian wilderness? 

Designed Josh Allen runs with blockers in front, an underrated reason why the @BuffaloBills are winning on 3rd downs. 👇@GregCosell | @MattBowen41 | @NFLMatchup pic.twitter.com/9cj8mHwaA6

— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) January 23, 2022

That’s why most teams have to choose what traits they want in their middle ‘backer. Most have chosen players with good but not great size and exceptional movement skills for the position. With more sub-package defense deploying three corners or three safeties, Mike is still the last bastion of run defense but has to cover significantly more ground than he did in the past. That means players closer to 235-pounds, with a smaller, 6-0, to 6-1 frame, are now the ‘ideal’ for the position. Longer is better in terms of arm length, but anything above 30+ inches is acceptable. Under head coach James Franklin, the Nittany Lions have followed that trend.

Skills and Traits

Possibly the most significant asset for a Nittany Lion Mike linebacker is intelligence. Size and speed are essential but with the number of ways things can go wrong on a given play, this player needs a good head on his shoulders. The Mike is also typically responsible for setting defensive alignments of the front seven, so he must understand his teammates’ gaps and his own.

For Penn State, run defense is still the primary job of the Mike linebacker. Former starter Ellis Brooks didn’t possess great speed, but he was quick and diagnosed plays faster than his teammates. He used that to get significant leverage on linemen and knife into the hole for solid tackles. 

Former Nittany Lion defensive coordinator Brent Pry used line games, such as stunts and shifts, to free up his ‘backers to make tackles. Funneling players to the linebacker results in needing fewer tools and more smarts. So, this player needs to be in the correct position and not miss the tackle. Brooks found ways around his limitations with crafty moves to dip under blocks without running around them.

Yet, as you just saw, speed is a crucial element for all linebackers. Come recruiting or draft time, players who run a sub-4.60 forty-yard dash take priority. The faster a player is, the more things he can do for your team. While we touched on it above, Mike linebackers are typically responsible for middle field coverage. For the Nittany Lions, that comes as either a QB spy (Some QBs run faster than tight ends) or zone coverage. 

Penn State ran very conventional underneath zones in pass defense until this past season. Players like Brooks, Brandon Smith, or Micah Parsons were responsible for zones at set points, under 10 yards from the line of scrimmage. However, with a highly underrated Brooks playing Mike, Pry used more two-high looks and more Tampa Two coverage. In Tampa Two, The middle linebacker dropped into a zone 15 yards downfield, sometimes in line with the safeties. 

Potential Penn State Mike Linebackers

• Tyler Elsdon
• Kobe King
• Keon Wylie
• Abdul Carter
• Curtis Jacobs

We’ll widen our search for this article, as we have not previously added the non-enrolled freshman to our list. We’ll start with the two most likely players to see time at Mike this season. 

Elsdon plays much like Brooks because he is quick and explosive, but not fast in a linear sense. The difference is that Elsdon lacks Brooks’ fluidity and plays through contact. Because of that, he has to have the reach and power to play in a more conventional style to win. He showed good awareness in the Outback Bowl as a run defender, but his work in coverage is unknown. To be a three-down player, Elsdon will have to prove he has the right mix of traits and smarts. 

King has great size at 6-1, 245, with a great frame and long arms. The question is everything else. Does he know enough about football as a redshirt freshman to avoid mistakes? How fast is he? His high school tape suggests he’s a fluid athlete but might not have the speed you look for to play a complete game. He’s the best prototype of the bunch but likely has a ways to go. 

Wylie is a converted defensive end with good speed, size, and play through contact. His work against the run should eventually be his calling card. Still, like Parsons before him, his play in space is entirely unknown. Carter can technically play any position based on his size and speed but seems destined for the Will position. As we said last week, Jacobs is moving to Will but is listed here as more of a thought experiment than anything. 

For Penn State, finding a solid Mike linebacker to command the defense is critical. Despite having the most readily available bodies at this position, a transfer with a proven track record is the most likely place to start.