Asked for his take on the state of Penn State's group of safeties as the Nittany Lions prepare for the 2020 season, Lamont Wade didn't hedge his bets.

"It gives me those real powerhouse college team vibes because of the depth we have right now," Wade said Friday, adding that there are four or five safeties on Penn State's roster who are ready for meaningful action on Saturdays.

"It's a battle for whoever shows up," Wade said. "We're taking stats. We're writing stuff down on one-on-one reps. We're counting man-to-man reps, basically just trying to find out who the best cover guys are, who the best over-the-top guys are that fit the scheme. I feel like it could honestly — at this moment right now — it can be anybody, and that's the honest truth."

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The graduation of Garrett Taylor at the boundary safety spot opens up a starting job alongside Wade, and Jaquan Brisker — who impressed off the bench last season after transferring from Lackawanna College — was listed at the top of the depth chart that was released last spring, ahead of Jonathan Sutherland, Enzo Jennings, CJ Holmes and Dylan Farranato.

"Right now, [Brisker is] doing his thing, he's locking that down," Wade said. "He's getting interceptions and flying all over the field."

The boundary safety spot opposite Wade is where Brisker is most comfortable, he said Friday.

It allows him to be closer to the ball, which could give him more opportunities to create takeaways — something he proved adept at last season despite limited snaps, collecting a pair of interceptions.

"I love being around the ball," Brisker said. "That's what I love to do. My first step, I would rather come downhill than backpedal and be the last line of defense. I could do that, but I would rather be a run-stopper. Obviously I can cover ground when they need me to."

"Brisker brings a lot of range and tremendous ball skills to the position," Penn State defensive coordinator Brent Pry said this spring. "It's something I think that we've lacked over the years that he's got a chance to jumpstart us there a little bit and get his hands on a bunch of balls."

Brisker spent a part of the offseason working out with Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams, who is widely regarded as one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL.

That's nothing new. Brisker's trainer recognized a few years ago that Brisker was capable of handling himself with high-level athletes, which gave him the chance to work with Donald. And despite the positional difference, Brisker said he's been able to learn some things from Donald, mainly when it comes to rushing the passer.

"He just gave me the knowledge of being a blitzer," Brisker said, "just understanding what an offensive lineman wants to do when I blitz.

"He always gives me knowledge about work ethic and things like that, and just working hard. You can just see the example that he is."

As Brisker looks to progress from a performance last season that gave Penn State fans plenty of reason for optimism about his future, a stronger grasp of the playbook and his objectives on the field will be key.

Now that he's confident in his understanding of his own responsibilities, he can divert more of his attention toward studying opposing offenses and understanding what they're trying to do when they come up against the Nittany Lions.

Ultimately, a stronger football mind can help Brisker play faster, which is exactly what he wants to do.

"I think last year, there were plays where I was a little hesitant," he said. "If I knew what other pieces of the defense were doing, I would play even faster. When they had me in the middle of the field, there were angles that I took, and if I would have just trusted my instincts, I would have just played faster.

"Playing fast to me is being comfortable and trusting my instincts."

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