Penn State LB Dominic DeLuca’s Status Is Unclear. That Could Give Freshman a ‘Green Light’

The status of one of Penn State’s starting linebackers is in question ahead of Saturday’s game against No. 19 Illinois. Dominic DeLuca, a two-time team captain, was absent from Wednesday’s practice viewing session after exiting at halftime against Kent State this past weekend.

James Franklin said after practice on Wednesday he was “not prepared or ready” to update the status of DeLuca and third-string running back Cam Wallace, who was carted to the locker room after sustaining an injury in the fourth quarter against the Golden Flashes.

If DeLuca is unable to suit up or is limited, freshman linebacker Anthony Speca would get “green lighted” for this weekend only, Franklin said. It appears the plan would be to retain Speca’s redshirt status, if possible, although he may be needed past the five-game threshold that would burn it.

“He's just a smart guy. A very, very smart guy. Very productive guy," Franklin said of Speca. "… He's just come in here and been a very, very mature, a very about-his-business guy. He's got really good athleticism. Tested really well when he showed up on campus.”

Speca saw the field for 20 snaps, which was the second-most of the eight linebackers who played this past weekend. He also led the team with five tackles in a shutout victory for Penn State’s defense.

“I thought Speca came in and did some nice things for us this week, in terms of running the defense and playing with confidence, and we're going to have to build on that,” Franklin said Monday.

Speca isn’t the only player that should see an increase in playing time if DeLuca is sidelined. Ta’Mere Robinson returned this past weekend from an injury that left him active against Bowling Green two earlier. He, as well as Tyler Elsdon and DaKaari Nelson — who switched from safety to linebacker this offseason — are all candidates for a promotion.

“He had some bumps and bruises where he lost some time, which would have been really valuable for him and for us,” Franklin said of Robinson. “I think that's going to be really important for us continuing to move forward is his durability and his ability to get in any game and play and play well, and the same thing for practice. He just needs the reps.”

Robinson, who Franklin said is “super talented,” isn’t the only second-year linebacker who’s caught the eye of the coaching staff. Nelson has impressed in his brief time at the position. However, Nelson could trail Speca, Robinson and the veteran Elsdon on the depth chart due to his lack of experience as a linebacker.

“We weren't necessarily sure how that was going to go. There’s a big difference between playing defensive back and playing linebacker,” Franklin said. “And obviously people do some things to kind of get you into the box, whether that is the position we're trying to play at, or not. And DaKaari has been a really pleasant surprise.”

Nelson has played in all three games, primarily on special teams, and was named the Nittany Lions’ special teams player of the week after the win over Kent State. It’s just a matter of the 6-foot-3, 222-pound Nelson growing into the linebacker position that will decide his fate for both this season and beyond.

Tony Rojas and Kobe King should continue to hold down the other two starting linebacker spots as Franklin pieces together a plan to replace DeLuca if he’s unable to play on Saturday. Perhaps, defensive end Abdul Carter could revert back to his old position for a few sets against Illinois.

“Tyler Elsdon continues to be a guy that is playing a ton of football around here, and we have a lot of confidence in Rojas to continue to develop into a special player. And then obviously we have some flexibility with Abdul as well,” Franklin said. “So there are some answers there, but we need to continue to develop guys and continue to develop them.”

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