How help is coming for Penn State football and Linebacker U vs Purdue
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The thinnest Penn State football position is finally getting some much needed help.
What will it mean for Saturday's suddenly-critical showdown in Beaver Stadium against unranked Purdue?
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The Nittany Lions are moving Iowa State transfer Marcus Neal, Jr. from safety to linebacker, head coach Matt Campbell confirmed on Wednesday. He also added that backup linebacker, Cam Smith, will finally return to action after missing the previous five games to injury.
The hope is that it boosts a linebacker group working with only main players − starters Tony Rojas and Kooper Ebel and backup Cael Brezina.
Neal transferred to Penn State, along with Ebel, Brezina and more than 20 others, with a standout resume. He recorded 11 tackles for loss last season, made two interceptions and was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week against Kansas State.
But Neal has seemed to struggle to fit into his safety role with the Nittany Lions. He showed inconsistent tackling throughout, though he has forced two fumbles and recovered another. He started five games but was benched for the White Out against USC.
Neal's size (6-foot-1, 216 pounds) should help at linebacker.
“I just think for Marcus, it allows his talent and his ability to be at a place where we can use it even more, not only in first and second down, but multiplicity and situational football, too,“ Campbell said. "It’s about trying to find ways to get our best players on the field and put those guys in position to be the best within the scheme.
"Marcus just wants to play. There’s only one speed with Marcus. (We're) really excited about finding the right fit for him and the right home for him."
Meanwhile, Smith, a redshirt freshman, should see his first backup work since the mid-September game at Temple. He had hoped to cleared to play two weeks ago at Michigan, following an unspecified injury recovery, but was held out for precautionary reasons, Campbell said.
Campbell called Smith one of the team's "MVPs" during its off-week.
These moves could help relieve some pressure on the other linebackers, particularly Rojas, who has turned in an All-American effort through this first seven games.
He leads the Lions in tackles (56), tackles for loss (10.5) and interceptions (two). He also, impressively enough, has more sacks (five) than the rest of the defense combined (four).
Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at [email protected] and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: How help is coming for Penn State football and Linebacker U vs Purdue