Oweh's production against Indiana hints at elite pass rushing potential
The only thing missing from Jayson Oweh's second career start last Saturday was the end product.
The redshirt sophomore defensive end was a constant nuisance to an Indiana offense that spun its wheels for the better part of three quarters — a bright spot on a day that most Penn State fans will be all too eager to forget.
Oweh pressured Indiana quarterback Michael Penix a staggering 10 times on the 36 pass rush attempts Oweh undertook. He hit Penix three times, hurrying him another seven times. Only the glory that comes with a tally in the sack column eluded him.
"I think I did a good job of setting the tone, just the speed and the level I want to play at," Oweh said. "The run, obviously playing physical in the run. Striking, seeing my keys. When it came to pass rushing, the get-off was already there because of the striking, so then I just had to see my man, see his hands, and react off of it.
"As the game advanced I was able to get hurries. I didn't get home, but it's gonna come with more repetition."
Oweh's season-opening performance was a taste of the upside that his teammates and coaches alike have been touting since he arrived on campus. Finding football late, Oweh always figured to be a player who would need time to bed in and improve.
When new defensive line coach John Scott Jr. took up his post in Happy Valley over the offseason, the tape from Oweh's redshirt freshman season jumped out.
"Jayson was very explosive, and you saw a big time athlete just going out and making plays with his athleticism," Scott Jr. said. "He still was kind of raw with a couple technique things.
"I've seen Jayson mature from last season to this season because I feel like now you see more of the technique. In my opinion, his strike is really good right now. He's doing a good job getting off of blocks. He's a really coachable guy, he wants to get better. He's doing a nice job with his hands, just understanding what sort of pass sets he's getting and how you want to attack that. I've seen his growth and maturity as a football player and his knowledge increase, and it's now translating to the football field. That's been fun to see as a coach."
If Oweh can manage anything like his performance against Indiana on a consistent basis, he won't be very fun to deal with for anyone standing in his way.
Let's put those numbers against Indiana in context. Last season, Ohio State's Chase Young — widely considered to be the best defensive lineman in college football — achieved a pressure rate of 17.5 percent on his pass rush attempts.
Against Indiana, Jayson Oweh pressured the quarterback on 27.7 percent of his pass rush attempts.
Drawing conclusions from such a small sample would be irresponsible. Penn State will face better offensive lines this season than what Indiana offered last Saturday, and, if Oweh continues to dominate, opposing coaching staffs will divert more attention his way in an attempt to slow him down.
But last weekend was surely an exciting showcase of what Oweh is capable of. In a challenging matchup against a slippery quarterback in Justin Fields, the Nittany Lions will need more of the same if they intend to upset the Buckeyes.
"He's very mobile," Oweh said of Fields. "He's elusive. I could speak for a lot of defensive linemen, it's not fun playing a guy that knows how to move in the pocket and knows how to move at the right time, step up in the pocket.
"They're very dynamic on offense, but I'm very confident in what we can do. I'm not putting anything past us."
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