Stepping forward, Brisker primed for strong final season at Penn State
In a straight-line overall ranking of Penn State’s defensive performers last season, Odafe Oweh finished first with a grade of 85.3 according to Pro Football Focus.
Just behind him, senior safety Jaquan Brisker checked in with an 82.8 for the season, playing in two more games than Oweh while taking 141 more snaps. Brisker finished second in his run defense grade, too, but among all Nittany Lion defenders, his 91.8 as a tackler and a 77.8 mark in pass coverage were both tops.
Statistically, Brisker’s 57 tackles were third on the team behind linebackers Ellis Brooks and Jesse Luketa, he was one of only four Nittany Lions to record an interception for the season, and his six passes broken up led the team.
Still, when reflecting on his performance with the benefit of a few months hindsight, Brisker was left with a strong sense of dissatisfaction at how the year played out both personally and on a program-wide basis.
“It was a very dominant camp for me. I led with interceptions in the fall and I was making plays left and right, so I felt good going into the season. I felt like it would be a dominant year for the team and a dominant year for me,” Brisker said. “So going through the first couple of games of the year, I was kind of disappointed because I wasn't around the ball. And of course, we were losing, so I'm thinking from what I did in camp to now, I look terrible. I'm not around the ball."
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Though he totaled seven tackles against Ohio State the second week of the season, his second-most on the season behind a nine-tackle performance against Michigan State in December, Brisker’s sentiment was well-founded.
Routinely finding himself backpedaling into pass coverage, the result was a sense of playing out of sync with his strengths, he said. So as the Nittany Lions struggled their way to an 0-5 start, failing to keep Indiana, Ohio State, Maryland, Nebraska, or Iowa under 30 points along the way, Brisker said he took it upon himself to urge Penn State’s defensive coaching staff toward a new direction. Recollecting a conversation with former safeties' coach Tim Banks and coordinator Brent Pry, Brisker said he asked to be put into a position where he could be around the ball more.
“I made the plays that came to me, but it was a little stressful not being around the ball. I was always used to being around the ball, especially coming from Lackawanna where my coach always put me in a position to get around the ball for the team and team success,” Brisker said. “So for the team and team success, and my success, I felt like I wanted to be around the ball more. Once that happened, you guys saw the difference and I made my plays.”
Manifesting itself in the form of five tackles at Michigan and four at Rutgers with two passes broken up, plus his nine tackles, 1.5 TFL, interception, two quarterback hurries and another breakup against the Spartans, and a season-capping seven stops against Illinois, Brisker said he found the footing he’d expected at the season’s start. Spurred on by the encouragement of Pry, who set a standard of playing within the framework of the defense for the first three steps before letting instincts take over, Brisker finally excelled.
“Honestly, once I talked to them, they started putting me down in the box more, where I love to be. And then obviously, just move me around. I could be in the box, I can be back here or the middle of the field, so it just felt good being versatile,” Brisker said. “I feel comfortable.”
According to a PFF breakdown of top returning players by position heading into the 2021 season, Brisker checked in at No. 5 on the list of safeties. Noted as missing just one tackle on 60 attempts, a 1.7 missed tackle percentage credited as “the second-lowest rate… ever seen in the PFF College era,” the effort sets up a final season with the Nittany Lions in which Brisker feels his most comfortable and confident yet.
“I feel very prepared, especially having a third year here at Penn State, and having two under my belt,” he said. “Mentally, I feel good. I understand that the game is 90 percent mental. I just am letting my instincts take over.
“And especially with Coach Dex coming in and having played safety, and being a Hall of Fame safety here in college football, playing in the NFL, he makes my job easier because he sees what I see. He was back there in my shoes, so he has a lot of knowledge back there. He's always giving us some type of knowledge about the safety position. He allows us to play fast, so having a coach like that behind me, having Coach Pry and Coach Terry and Coach V'Angelo by my side makes it a lot easier.”
Aligned in their objectives, the result for Brisker has been a spring in which he has earned universal praise throughout the Nittany Lions’ locker room and coaching staff.
Delivering on his maturation and growth in the program with leadership on and off the field, both by humble example as well as in his words, Penn State’s expectations have been set to match Brisker’s potential.
“He's a vet now. He understands our package. To be honest, Brisk is a guy that could play corner, field safety, boundary safety, and nickel. And if we had another year after this one, we'd play him some at Will linebacker, too. He can do it all,” Pry said. “He's got a great skill set. He's got corner feet and hips and speed, but he's got a safety body, and he's physical and can mix it up in the run game as well as be one of our best cover players. I'm super excited that he returned. He is a tremendous worker.”
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