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Penn State HC Matt Campbell Identifies Camp Standouts
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- Penn State HC Matt Campbell Identifies Camp Standouts
(USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
Penn State HC Matt Campbell Identifies Camp Standouts
The Penn State Nittany Lions are preparing to play Marshall in Week 1 on Sept. 5.
The contest will be the first Matt Campbell as the head coach of PSU, and will offer a glimpse of a new look team comprised of 24 Iowa State transfers.
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Penn State is coming off a crucial training camp where Campbell installed his culture. What PSU learned during camp will be critical for the team to carry momentum into the regular season.
When speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Campbell named a few standout players from camp.
He noted senior cornerback Audavion Collins as the first standout.
"AC Collins has been lights out," Campbell said , via statecollege.com "Man, what he practices like, what he plays like, the consistency that he has given us, just in general as a football team, has been remarkable. I'm really proud of what he's done."
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Campbell is impressed with the defensive side of the ball. UCLA transfers Keanu Williams and Siale Taupaki had a solid performance at camp on the defensive line. Those two players transferred to stay working under defensive line coach Ikaika Malloe.
Campbell praised linebackers Cam Smith and Cael Brezina for the way they improved on defense this summer.
"I think Cam Smith had a remarkable camp, and I thought Cael Brezina, it's the best football I've watched Cael Brezina play, really maybe in his career," Campbell said. "I go back to his freshman year, he started out lights out.
"You know, 14 tackles against Iowa as a true freshman, then got dinged up and has kind of worked through injuries, but finally healthy. And I really thought him and Cam are two guys that have had a great camp and just gotten better every day at linebacker."
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Expect the defense to carry Penn State early in the season. They should have a solid defensive line with plenty of depth for a strong rotation.
On offense, PSU will have ISU transfer quarterback Rocco Becht working with a few transferred skilled players, receiver Koby Howard and tight end Andrew Rappleyea .
The Nittany Lions will need the offense to play well to beat USC, Michigan , and Washington, but the defense should keep this team in the mix to stay in the College Football Playoff chase through October.
