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What is Penn State getting in Deion Barnes? Former players weigh in on Lions' new defensive line coach

Greg Pickelby:Greg Pickel•04/04/23•

GregPickel

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Penn State defensive line coach Deion Barnes. (Credit: Ryan Snyder/BWI)

Penn State football coach James Franklin has admitted twice this month that his search for the program’s next defensive line coach took longer than he expected it to. However, it still ended with a predictable, if at first not entirely expected, pick: Deion Barnes.

The Nittany Lions alum and letterman, who was a three-year graduate assistant and one-month analyst now has his first on-field position. He replaces John Scott Jr., who he worked closely with before the latter left for a job with the NFL’s Detroit Lions. Barnes, a Philadelphia native, has long been seen as a position coach in the making from those inside and outside of the program.

“I will say he’s so detail-oriented,” former Penn State linebacker Jonathan Sutherland said. “He was never coached directly by Barnes but witnessed his work plenty on and off the practice field.

“Every single day that I’ve been here, and I kid you not, every single practice, he stays out after hours and works with the d-line. He works with their fundamentals, he works with their technique, he holds them to a standard, and he tells him the truth. He tells it how it is. When he was a GA, I knew he was going to be elevated to some sort of position. Whether it was here or not, because of his work ethic and his attention to detail.”

What will Deion Barnes provide his Penn State defensive linemen with?

Barnes is held in high regard inside the Penn State program. His work ethic is undoubtedly one of the biggest reasons why. Before games, he is always one of the first people on the field helping his players get ready for kick-off. That extends to the practice field, too, where he’s active before and after the final whistle of the day. But, it’s not only his hard-charging ways that stand out to two of his former players.

“There’s no question that he’s ready,” defensive end Nick Tarburton said. “I’m just so thankful and happy for him. That’s life-changing for him, and it’s so cool to see him step up and take that job. He was ready. He’s been ready, I think, for a couple of years now, whether that was here, whether that was somewhere else, he’s the d-line coach, and rightfully so.”

Defensive tackle PJ Mustipher agreed.

“He’s deserving man,” Mustipher said. “He’s been working for it this whole time. We put in a lot of work together. So, I understand where he can take guys games, and he’s going to do that for the defensive line here.” 

It started with and continues during spring practice. Penn State is halfway through its 15 practices. Barnes must find Mustipher’s replacement inside and also Tarburton’s in the defensive end rotation, among other things. He’ll work alongside graduate assistant Torrence Brown to do just that, both now and moving forward into the season.

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