Dixon brings two-fold boost to Nittany Lions' DBs
Turning the page on Penn State’s 2020 season with an eye toward the future, James Franklin had reasons for optimism regarding the Nittany Lions’ secondary.
In safety Lamont Wade, the program lost a 22-game starter and four-year contributor through his Penn State career. But in a quick survey of the Nittany Lions’ returning corners and safeties, the pros far outweighed the cons.
In Tariq Castro-Fields, Penn State welcomed back a corner with starts spanning three seasons for a fifth, bonus year with the Nittany Lions. Though only starting nine games in his two years since arriving from Lackawanna College, safety Jaquan Brisker represented a similar age, maturity, and experience.
Combined with the veteran leadership of Jonathan Sutherland at safety, plus the two years apiece for the likes of Keaton Ellis, Marquis Wilson, Daequan Hardy, and Joey Porter Jr., all with varying levels of playing experience, and the behind-the-scenes blossoming of junior college transfer Ji’Ayir Brown, Franklin and the Nittany Lions already had depth, experience, and talent.
And that was before the January additions of midsemester enrollee Kalen King and South Carolina transfer corner John Dixon, each of whom made an immediate impression with the program in their first months on campus.
“Our secondary, I thought we had a chance to be good,” Franklin said this spring, “but the additions of Johnny Dixon and Kalen King have changed things. I think we got a lot more guys that we can play with and win with.”
In Dixon, that boost comes with the bonus of having experience.
A two-year performer for the Gamecocks, Dixon appeared in a limited role as a true freshman in 2019, then followed the effort with eight starts and 10 games played during the 2020 campaign. Finishing the year with 34 tackles, a fumble recovery, and five passes broken up, Dixon joined the Nittany Lions in January and immediately caught the attention of his teammates and coaches.
Fitting in with his secondary teammates, Dixon was said this spring to have brought with him a dedicated approach to film study and practice preparation. Translating those small details to on-field success through winter workouts and spring practices, the result within Penn State’s depth chart was a heightened sense of competition within a position group already crowded with potential.
“Johnny Dixon brings added competition to the room,” corners coach Terry Smith said. “Here's a guy that started games in the SEC, comes to the room with a humble approach. He's a hard worker. He's a tremendous talent. He's tough. He's a very good tackler. He's smart in the room. And he fits into the room.”
No doubt, the Nittany Lions will be eager to add Dixon’s tackling, toughness, and savvy to a group that already held the four top-graded tacklers on the defense last season in Brisker, Sutherland, Porter, and Hardy.
Assessed by defensive coordinator Brent Pry as having a versatility that increases his value, Dixon’s presence gives the Nittany Lions options as it seeks out the right groupings ahead of the 2021 season.
“I think Dixon's a playmaker,” Pry said. “He's a mature guy, he's got good size and strength. He's a confident guy also. And a good skill set. I'm excited that he's here and I think he's only going to get better and better as he learns our system.
“He's a guy that's got flexibility. He's got some safety qualities, he's got corner qualities, he's playing some at the nickel spot. He's gonna play a lot of football for us.”
In whatever form that takes, Dixon’s impact has been undeniable in a multitude of ways.
On the field, the playmaking ability of another piece within a group that at times struggled to create game-changing plays would be of obvious benefit to the Nittany Lions. But maybe even more so, Dixon’s presence has only helped to further the competitive culture the program is determined to have throughout.
“He's come in and made an immediate impact on us,” Smith said. “I’m super excited that he's a part of our room and he's making us better. He's getting better, he’s making the room better, and he's building a competition that ultimately makes us better with the guys that are on the field.”
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