Penn State linebacker Brandon Smith looks for more action, less boredom at new spot

Aug. 10—Brandon Smith admits that he was bored at times last season playing strong-side linebacker for Penn State.

He felt distanced from the football and the action playing a position that requires more pass coverage and less run stoppage. It was a strange feeling for him.

"Sometimes I would get a little lax out there because some plays at Sam (strong side) would be repetitive," Smith said. "I'm not going to lie. I did get lax out there at certain points when I knew for sure the ball wasn't going to come anywhere near me based on the formation.

"I did fall short a few times and got caught sleeping."

After moving to the Will linebacker (weak side) in the spring, Smith can't wait for Penn State's opener Sept. 4 at Wisconsin. He'll be closer to the line of scrimmage and engaged on every down.

Smith, a junior, will play the position where Micah Parsons became an All-American and a first-round draft pick. He'll be on the field almost every down, even when the Nittany Lions use five or six defensive backs.

He was thrust into the starting lineup at the Sam position after Parsons opted out of last season in August and Jesse Luketa moved from Sam to Will.

"Whatever liabilities Brandon had, it probably didn't play to his strengths being out there (at Sam)," defensive coordinator Brent Pry said. "I don't think the Sam backer plays to his strengths as well as Will does. He's more suited to be a Will. There's more contact and less space. He has that great length and long arms. He can stay off people. And he's physical."

Smith started all nine games last year and finished with 37 tackles, a little more than four a game. He led the Lions with eight tackles for loss and had two sacks, a fumble recovery and an interception. But on many plays, especially during Penn State's 0-5 start, he wasn't near the football.

Pry, who also coaches the linebackers, thought it would have been asking too much of Smith to play at Will last season.

"I felt like from a learning standpoint that it was best to leave Brandon at Sam, at least initially," Pry said. "Sam is the easiest spot mentally in the linebacker group and Will is the most challenging. I think his skill set was screaming Will linebacker. I just didn't want to throw him in the fire too quickly."

Smith was a highly touted prospect from Louisa, Va., a small town of less than 2,000 that sits between Richmond and Charlottesville. He helped lead Louisa County High School to a 25-2 record his last two seasons and the Virginia Class 4A title game as a junior in 2017.

He was named to several All-America teams and was rated among the top 40 high school players in the country by the three major recruiting services. He picked Penn State over, among others, Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Virginia and Virginia Tech.

He was known for making jarring tackles and made one in his first college game against Idaho at Beaver Stadium. He and his coaches expect him to make many more this season.

"I'm definitely excited," Smith said. "It (moving to Will) just gives me an adrenaline boost because I know, 'OK, if it's a run play, that person right there can be on me in a matter of seconds.' For me to be able to diagnose the play and knowing my responsibility gives you a rush."

Pry wouldn't have moved the 6-3, 239-pound Smith if not for the emergence of 6-1, 229-pound Curtis Jacobs, who saw limited action last year as a freshman. Jacobs was a consensus four-star prospect at McDonogh School in Maryland, where led the Eagles to a state championship game.

He played wide receiver and defensive back in high school, so he's accustomed to playing with the ball in the air.

"I'm excited about the transition," Pry said. "I think Curtis brings some things to the Sam position that we didn't have athletically. He's very fluid and a good player in space who has great ball skills. Then putting Brandon at Micah's spot, I just think those two guys are really owning those spots. I think we've improved in both areas."

Penn State's play at linebacker in general was not very good last year. Guys missed too many tackles and too often were out of position.

"There were definitely a lot of things where we fell short last year," Smith said. "It was an out of body experience because we didn't play like we knew we could play. We just dropped the ball in general as far as what we needed to do and what we wanted to do."

Smith carries great expectations in 2021 for himself and his teammates on defense. He wants to become the impact player the Lions hoped they were getting when they recruited him.

"This season is a new beginning for us," he said, "a new chapter for us as far as how we want to be remembered and how we know we can play. We want to be a force to be reckoned with in college football.

"The time is now. I know where I want to be in another year or so. I've made it a point not only to myself but talking to the coaches that this is where I'm trying to be at. Nothing is going to get in my way. Nothing is going to stop me."