To his teammates, redshirt senior linebacker Brandon Smith — a former walk-on who’s been on campus longer than James Franklin — is a reliable presence and friendly face. The Nittany Lions have gotten to know “Smitty” well over the last five years.
But it took just a few hours for the Scarlet Knights to get acquainted.
Smith made his first start of the season in Saturday’s 35-6 win over Rutgers, racking up 10 tackles (four solo stops). It’s just the second time in his Penn State career that he’s hit double-digit totals — and it may be his last.