Within transformed DE group, Adisa Isaac is challenged to lead more
Adisa Isaac likes to think of himself as a lead-by-example kind of guy. A year ago, as one of the younger members of a defensive end group that was blessed with a charismatic leader in Shaka Toney, that was a perfectly fine way for Isaac to go about his business.
Not anymore.
Toney is preparing for the NFL Draft, as is fellow starter Jayson Oweh. The loss of those two players, along with veteran backup Shane Simmons, has turned Isaac into one of the position group’s most experienced players ahead of the 2021 season. And with that role has come a new set of responsibilities.
“I’ve not always been the biggest talker,” said the 6-foot-4, 244-pound sophomore. “But at times like this, I have to voice my opinion and help the younger guys. I’m more of a lead-by-example guy. I’ll say a couple of things here and there; I’m not a screamer. But when it’s time to be vocal, I will have to be vocal. It’s something I’m trying to improve on, being in this leadership role.”
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Isaac backed up Toney last season, seeing action in all nine games and finishing with 13 tackles, 1.5 sacks and two quarterback hurries. The two defensive ends have stayed in touch since the season ended in December, and Isaac is hoping to benefit from the experiences of Toney and the other players who came before him.
“I’ve been picking his brain since I got on campus, just asking him, ‘How do you do this? When do you do this? Why do you do this?’ Isaac said. The goal, he explained, is to learn more about how players such as Toney “carried themselves, how they practiced, how they led – just finding little pieces that I can add and incorporate into this team that we have here.”
This year’s team will of course look different, and Isaac’s position group has undergone as much personnel upheaval as any spot on the Nittany Lions’ roster. Isaac figures to take over one of the starting spots, with Temple transfer Arnold Ebiketie in contention to claim the opposite position. Isaac called Ebiketie “a great addition. We’ve grown close already. He brings a lot of explosiveness, great get-off, great hands. He brings a lot to the table. I’m excited to see what he’s going to do this year.”
In addition, the Lions bring back two players from last year’s three-deep depth chart in Smith Vilbert and Nick Tarburton.
Isaac said Vilbert’s size – 6-6, 258 pounds – makes him a formidable presence on the defensive front. “He’s a big guy, but he also can move,” Isaac said. “He’s a former basketball player, so he has a lot of twitchyness in him, a lot of speed, a lot of length. He has very long arms, so he has a lot of tools to work with.”
Tarburton, meanwhile, has earned the respect of his fellow defensive ends with the commitment he’s displayed away from the bright lights of Beaver Stadium.
“Nick is a hard worker,” Isaac said. “He pushes us hard every day in the weight room, on the field, after hours, after practice, before practice. He’s always working, and everyone is feeding of his energy.”
Isaac is coming off a 2020 season that left him feeling unsatisfied – not just because of the team’s losing record but because he wasn’t entirely happy with his own performance. “I’m glad I got the chance to play,” he said, “but I feel like I have a long way to go.”
With spring drills set to conclude on Saturday, Isaac said he and his teammates have been motivated by a desire to never feel that way again.
“We’re all hard workers,” he said, “and we all know what we want this year after what happened to us last year. We went 4-5. We’ve got a chip on our shoulder this year, so we all are working extremely hard, and it’s going to show. It’s going to pay off for us, and we know it.”
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