Coming off a Big Ten championship and Rose Bowl berth, Penn State looks to have needs at both safety and linebacker in 2017.
Coach James Franklin dealt with extraordinary adversity at linebacker last season, but got key contributions from walk-on Brandon Smith, former safety Koa Farmer and true freshman Cam Brown to help keep the ship afloat. A rash of injuries next season will likely require a similar dive down the depth chart, which could yield playing time for at least one true freshman in the 2017 recruiting class.
While Penn State had two reliable veteran safeties in Marcus Allen and Malik Golden last season, the Lions have depth question marks going into the offseason.