Just how good can Penn State’s defense be in 2019?

Personally, I believe it has a legitimate chance of challenging both Michigan and Michigan State for the best overall defense in the Big Ten this fall. It's the No. 1 reason why I believe Penn State has a legitimate opportunity to challenge Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State for the Big Ten East Division title.

And I’m not the only one who’s excited about the Nittany Lions’ defense. Pro football Hall of Famer Jack Ham, a former Penn State All-American linebacker who has stayed close to the program as color analyst on the program’s radio network broadcasts, said recently that he believes the Lions’ defense has the potential to become the best of the James Franklin era and may be the fastest defense the program has ever fielded.

“The key for that to become a reality this fall will be the development of what I believe could become the best group of linebackers at Penn State in more than a decade,” Ham said, “It’s one of the best groups of pure athletes at the linebacker positions at the underclassmen level I’ve seen at Penn State.”

I agree 100 percent with Ham’s analysis, athletically this is without question the best group of linebackers I’ve seen at Penn State in a decade. It has the potential to be the most athletically gifted group of linebackers since Navorro Bowman, Sean Lee, Paul Posluszny and Dan Connor gave the Penn State football program four All-Americans a decade ago.

But what has the potential to make this defense not only the best during the Franklin era at Penn State, but maybe one of the best ever at Penn State, is the level of athleticism that exists at every position group on this Penn State defense.

Exceptional pure athletes exist on Penn State’s defensive line at both defensive tackle and defensive end, at the three linebacker (MLB, Will OLB and Sam OLB) positions, and at the two safety and cornerback positions in the secondary.

In the spring, Franklin said that Penn State’s 2019 team may boast the best and most athletic group of defensive ends he has ever had in his coaching career. Led by 6-foot-5, 265 pound strong-side DE Yetur Gross-Matos and 6-3, 243 weak-side DE Shaka Toney, plus Shane Simmons (6-3, 259), Daniel Joseph (6-3, 254), Jayson Oweh (6-5, 258), Nick Tarburton (6-3, 260), Adisa Isaac (6-4, 241), Smith Vilbert (6-6, 253) and Hakeem Beamon (6-3, 259).

Gross-Matos and Oweh both may be the two most physically gifted at defensive end. During the testing sessions that followed winter workouts, Gross-Matos posted an incredible 4.52 second 40-yard dash. It’s easy to see why so many draft analysts believe he'll end up being selected in the 2020 NFL draft.

Oweh told reporters this spring that he had run a hand-timed 4.35 40-yard time and posted a 37-inch vertical leap. Many believe that those two, plus Toney, Simmons, Joseph, Tarburton, and Class of 2019 freshmen Isaac and Vilbert, comprise the most athletically gifted defensive ends ever on a Penn State roster.

At defensive tackle, Robert Windsor tips the scales at 6-4, 289, and has a reported 4.9 40-yard speed. P.J. Mustipher now stands 6-3, 311, and just might be the most physically gifted DT on Penn State’s roster, which would not surprise Penn State’s defensive line coach, Sean Spencer.

“And then a guy like P.J. [Mustipher] was a tremendously talented freshman who played early,” Spencer said, “He’s only the second freshman D-tackle I’ve played in the history of my Division 1 coaching…It’s hard to play as a true freshman as a tackle…I’ve watched P.J. change his body. I’ve watched him eat properly, workout extra. I’ve watched these things, and you can just see it as a coach. That dude is about to turn the corner.”

Depth comes from Damion Barber (6-3, 290), Fred Hansard (6-3, 309), Judge Culpepper (6-4, 290), Aeneas Hawkins (6-2, 280), plus freshman D’Von Ellis (6-1, 304) and possibly Beamon.

The athleticism and speed exists at all three linebacker positions. Micah Parsons (6-3, 245) leads the way with a 4.41 40-yard speed. Lance Dixon (6-2, 213) has 4.5 40-yard speed. Ellis Brooks (6-1, 240), Cameron Brown (6-5, 235), Brandon Smith(6-4, 240), Charlie Katshir (6-2, 229) and Jan Johnson having 4.6 to 4.7 40-yard speed. So. Jesse Luketa (6-3, 247) made the biggest advancement this spring going from 241 to 247 and improving his 40-yard speed from 4.92 to 4.68.

The same type of situation exits in the secondary. Cornerbacks John Reid, Tariq Castro-Fields and Trent Gordon are all reported to have 4.5 or better 40-yard speed. But the fastest CBs are freshmen Keaton Ellis and Marquis Wilson and redshirt sophomore Donovan Johnson. Ellis and Wilson reportedly run consistent 4.4 40- yard times and Reid said, “Johnson is the fastest CB running a 4.3 40-yard time on a bad day.”

At safety Garrett Taylor, Lamont Wade, Jonathan Sutherland, Jaquan Brisker all are reported to have between 4.5 and 4.6 40-yard speed and, except for Wade (5-9, 199), Taylor (6-0, 204), Sutherland (6-0, 201) and Brisker (6-1, 213) are 6-foot and over 200 pounds.

Finally, it’s been reported to me that 26 players on Penn State’s roster have 4.5 or better 40-yard speed. If that’s accurate there is no question that would be the fastest team in Penn State football history. And close to half of that total would reside on Penn State’s 2019 defense.

Now you know why Ham believes Penn State’s 2019 defense is the fastest in the program’s history.