Penn State is planning a hybrid role for one veteran defender in 2021

Jesse Luketa is a young man on the move.

Penn State’s defense is short on proven performers at the defensive end position and James Franklin and defensive coordinator Brent Pry are planning to use Luketa as a hybrid defender.

A box linebacker during his first three seasons with Nittany Lions, Luketa will see extended work at end during camp with an eye toward playing both positions in the fall.

The 6-3, 247-pound Luketa is a name to know in August and Pry sees the veteran as a player who has some position flexibility, similar to former linebackers Cam Brown and Micah Parsons.

Luketa and those players “have the ability to have traits to both positions, and so we’re able to maximize what Jesse can do well and maximize his assets by playing him some on the edge,” Pry said Saturday during Penn State media day in State College.

“There’s a number of reasons that we’re doing it,” Franklin said when asked about Luketa on Saturday. “One, to gain an advantage through a guy that’s got a unique skill set, and also to help us with some depth.”

Luketa is expected to see time at middle linebacker with another veteran, Ellis Brooks.

And it will be interesting to see where he fits in the Lions’ defensive end rotation with Arnold Ebiketie, Nick Tarburton and Smith Vilbert.

Penn State is replacing first-team All-Big Ten ends Odafe Oweh and Shaka Toney. The Lions are also expected to be without third-year end Adisa Isaac, who is out with an undisclosed injury, Franklin revealed on Saturday.

Luketa made eight starts at linebacker in 2020 and finished second on the team in tackles with 59 – one less than Brooks – while adding 2.5 tackles for loss, three pass breakups and a fumble recovery. Luketa is from Canada but played his high school ball at Mercyhurst Prep in Pennsylvania.

Penn State is expected to lean on Brooks, Brandon Smith and second-year player Curtis Jacobs at the linebacker position. Smith and Jacobs possess the athleticism to create problems for offenses on the perimeter.

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