According to Penn State safeties coach Tim Banks, the future is bright for Lamont Wade.
The Nittany Lions’ senior defensive back simply has to push through the challenges of right now to get there.
Coming off an honorable mention All-Big Ten season for both the conference coaches and media, plus a Pro Football Focus All-Big Ten honor, Wade is poised for a strong finish with the Nittany Lions in 2020 and an NFL opportunity beyond that.
“I think he has a tremendous upside,” Banks said. “He played on the hash but he also showed the ability to play in the slot, which I think is big.”
Comparing the NFL and college games, Banks said that Wade’s skill set meshes nicely with what’s going on at the next level. With NFL teams running three-wideout sets and flexing their tight ends, the need is there for versatile safeties who can cover in the passing game but also bring more to the table.
“You need to have guys in the game that obviously can cover, but also have enough stout about them to be able to make tackles. And I think Lamont can do that,” Banks said. “I think the ability for him to blitz and come off the edges sets him apart from some guys. And I think the overall energy that he brings and the passion for the game that he brings are contagious within your defense.
"I think those are traits that will be very attractive to some guys at the next level. Once he finishes and helps us continue our goals here, someone will be very fortunate to have him.”
The path for Wade to this point has been a winding one.
Beginning his career as a Rivals five-star cornerback prospect in the Class of 2017, Wade immediately made an impact with the Nittany Lions, finishing his freshman season with 31 tackles, three passes defended and a forced fumble in a backup role.
Ahead of Penn State’s spring practice in 2018, though, Wade transitioned to the safeties room and a crack at more playing time that ultimately didn’t quite come to fruition. Without starting, Wade appeared in 13 games, making just 18 tackles, a pair of TFLs, and a sack with no pass coverage statistics recorded, primarily being featured on special teams, prompting him to explore transfer options by entering the NCAA transfer portal.
The exploration was short-lived as Wade announced before the end of January 2019 to stick with Penn State for his junior year. Though he still wouldn’t technically earn a starting spot, the decision proved fruitful as he collected 67 tackles, 4.5 TFL, two sacks, five passes defended, and a Big Ten record-tying three forced fumbles in Penn State’s loss at Ohio State in November.
Noting that the past two years have allowed him to grow his relationship with Wade, Banks said that the senior’s evolution has been one that can and will pay dividends for the Nittany Lions in the season ahead.
“Lamont is super smart. He's very motivated. He definitely wants to be the best version of himself he could possibly be. And guys like that, I naturally click with, in general,” Banks said. “To be quite honest, it's been great to see how well he's adapted to learning the position, but the total position, not necessarily just his position. He understands the boundary safety. He obviously has a significant role to playing our nickel back. So he's done a truly good job that way.”
And, Banks continued, with Garrett Taylor exhausting his eligibility, Wade will move into an even bigger position of leadership in the room for his final season at Penn State.
“All the guys respect him because of his knowledge, because of his work ethic, and this will be a big year for him from a leadership perspective,” Banks said. “He was a guy that on Saturdays definitely brought all the energy and the guys feed off of him. But this year, I expect him to take another step in terms of really helping the kids prepare throughout the week. For some of the younger guys who haven't had a chance to have significant roles, getting those guys on the same page during the week, so they're ready to play and feed off that energy that he brings on the weekend. I'm excited about him.
“We've definitely had a chance to get to know each other. He understands what our standards and our expectations are in our room. And I understand the energy and what makes him tick, quite honestly. I think it's been a pretty good marriage so far and I think he's really just scratching the surface on how good you can be going into his senior year.”
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