Tyler Elsdon, Kobe King bond through year of progress

Tyler Elsdon made another play on Saturday. This time, a fumble recovery on Michigan State’s first possession of the afternoon, the redshirt sophomore Mike linebacker set up the Nittany Lion offense with prime field position.

Though Elsdon’s quick reaction didn’t lead to Penn State points, it again established a trend he’d been determined to establish in this, his first season with extensive action as a Nittany Lion.

Wanting nothing more than to help Penn State win, Elsdon continued the process of development and growth at Mike linebacker under the direction of defensive coordinator Manny Diaz. 

“It’s crazy how much you could grow in a year. It’s also crazy how fast a year can go,” Elsdon said of this, his third season as a Nittany Lion. “I got super close with a lot of seniors and seeing them get emotional and just thinking I’m going in my fourth year next year. It goes fast.”

Tyler Elsdon’s 2022 regular season

Starting all 12 games for Penn State this season at Mike linebacker, Elsdon saw something of a week-to-week rollercoaster through the season. 

Despite highlight performances coming at Auburn, against Ohio State, and Maryland, and tougher outings at Purdue and Northwestern though, head coach James Franklin noted that the shared position between Elsdon and redshirt freshman Kobe King had taken strides throughout.

“You’re starting to see Kobe and Elsdon (take control) at linebacker, but coming into the season, obviously we didn’t know that,” Franklin said. “We didn’t know how that was going to be.”

How it started, with admitted trepidation over how the position would perform, and how it ended were dramatically different things. With Penn State largely pleased by the production of the position, King finishing fourth on the team in tackles with 39.0 and Elsdon holding one stop less at 38.0, the efforts were part of a larger evolution in Diaz’s first season in the program.

Taking pride in his contribution to a group that finished 18th in total defense, 14th in rushing defense, and tied for 10th in scoring defense, allowing just 18.0 points per game, Elsdon said the aims of the preseason came to fruition. 

“We definitely started with a chip on our shoulder at the beginning of the year. You look at that and it kind of hurts a little bit,” Elsdon said on Saturday. “But, just playing one game at a time and just focusing on us, focus on the guys in the room, and good things happen. 

“Good things will continue to happen. Having the right mindset is important. We’re just fortunate that it’s played out this way. It’s a credit to all the coaches, players, leaders, and everybody that is a part of this.”

Growth at Mike linebacker

The second part of that equation at Mike linebacker, Elsdon pointed to King’s strides this season as well. 

Finishing the season with 4.0 TFL, two passes broken up, a quarterback hurry and the fumble recovery for a touchdown at Rutgers, King’s recognition and playmaking drew Elsdon’s praise.

“Kobe, he’s making a lot of good plays now. We are starting to get close, too, which is awesome. He’s a great kid,” Elsdon said. “He’s a great player and his maturity. All the LBs, all the guys on our team, I think that’s one of our strengths as a team. Kids are mature. He has the right approach every day. Just like Abdul, soaks it all in and just tries to put it on the field.”

Acknowledging the storyline that was attached to the position battle coming in, Elsdon added that the element pushed the pair. That was true then and continues now.

“People were asking about the competition. ‘How does the competition affect us?’ It’s the same thing now,” Elsdon said. “It’s cool now because we’re both on the field and we both make plays and it’s awesome. Our relationship is so strong now. 

“But it’s still us driving each other, pushing each other, learning off each other. And I think that if you look at our defense, throughout the season, we’ve gotten better. That’s not just my position, it’s all positions. There’s so much competition and drive and love for one anothe. You just want to get better for each other. Me and Kobe, the relationship is growing, and we’ve grown as players as well.”

Determined to improve on a week-by-week basis, Elsdon is confident that that progress will continue.