Why Jesse Luketa's versatility is key for Penn State football
Penn State Nittany Lions football defensive line coach John Scott Jr. could hardly dish out the praise for Jesse Luketa fast enough.
Luketa, having played linebacker for the first three seasons of his Penn State career, is now being asked to step in-and-out of a new role at defensive end.
Last Saturday against Wisconsin, Luketa played 47 snaps on the defensive line and 22 at linebacker, with the bulk of those coming after Ellis Brooks was ejected for targeting in the fourth quarter.
"I would say this about Jesse," Scott Jr. said. "He is a heck of a football player. I think Jesse is extremely, extremely intelligent, to be able to do what he did on Saturday. To play defensive end, a lot of people don't realize the technical skills that goes with that position, with eyes and footwork.
"To be able to flip a switch and go back and play Mike linebacker where your eyes are different, your techniques are different, and then you're doing different things within each of the plays at those different positions, you got to be, number one, a super talented football player, and, number two, extremely smart."
It seems likely the Nittany Lions could ask something similar of Luketa this week.
Brooks is suspended for the first half against Ball State, as a result of the same targeting penalty.
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Needing a replacement, Luketa gives Penn State an experienced option it can depend on.
"His versatility is going to be very important to us all year long from a depth perspective," Penn State head coach James Franklin said Thursday on the Penn State Coaches Show.
Franklin added that he thinks the way that defensive coordinator Brent Pry teaches wholesale defensive concepts to his linebackers allowed Luketa to make a smoother transition to defensive end.
With a full understanding of his responsibilities, he showed out, and Pry took notice.
"Coach Pry got up in front of the defense and was pretty emotional about that, talking about how selfless Jesse has been in this new role," Franklin said.
"Jesse, he's very important," star safety Jaquan Brisker said. "He's a very important part of the defense. He's showing his versatility. He's showing that he's a football player, that he can play anywhere on the field. He's not selfish."
Brisker texted Luketa after the Wisconsin game to let him know that he thought he played a "crazy" game.
From Brisker's perspective at the third level of the defense, Luketa was all over the field, showcasing his athleticism, but also his football IQ.
Penn State will need more of the same from Luketa moving forward, no matter where he's lined up.
"To me, it's been super, super impressive watching that young man," Scott Jr. said. "To be able to do that, that's something special. You don't see that often."
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