Penn State began the 2022 season with significant questions at linebacker. It will begin 2023 with one of the Big Ten's best one-two punches at the position.
Linebacker Curtis Jacobs announced that he will return to Penn State in next season, delivering a short but impactful message on social media. "I'm back," he said, immediately making Penn State's linebacker crew one to watch in the Big Ten.
Jacobs was in a unique position entering 2023. With 22 career starts, he could have departed for the NFL with a deep well of experience. He also has played a lot at both outside positions, furthering his value.
But in returning, Jacobs instantly becomes one of the Big Ten's most veteran linebackers and has a chance to increase his draft stock. Which might improve spending another year in Manny Diaz's defense playing alongside fellow linebacker Abdul Carter.
The versatile Jacobs switched positions to start 2022, moving from the Sam outside spot to the Will position. When Carter emerged as more than Jacobs' backup, Diaz made a shift. Jacobs began playing more at the Sam spot again. That could be his full-time home in 2023.
"I think it incredibly prepares me for the next level, because I'll be able to have seen things now that I might see when I do move on," Jacobs said at the Rose Bowl of playing multiple positions. "So I feel like that will really help me from like an experience standpoint, and I feel like it will really make my game better."
Jacobs, who earned honorable mention All-Big Ten, finished third on the team with 52 tackles, making 7.5 for losses. He and Carter combined for 18 of the team's 104 tackles for loss. Jacobs also made four sacks.
With Jacobs' return, the Lions now field an experienced group at linebacker. All three starters, including middle linebacker Tyler Elsdon, are back, as is Kobe King, who shared the position with Elsdon. They represent four of Penn State's top five tacklers in 2022.
Diaz pointed to Jacobs' performance against Minnesota as the turning point. The linebacker made a career-high 14 tackles, helping to hold Gophers' running back Mo Ibrahim to 102 yards, and demonstrated the physical style of play Diaz seeks in a Sam linebacker.
"Curt was on a different level that night," Diaz said.
Further, Jacobs answered a key question with which Diaz began the season, one that makes the coordinator's job more enticing next season.
"Curtis had never played in the box.," Diaz said before the Rose Bowl. "Even if you look at his experience in high school, that's a different world in the A-gaps and B-gaps. ... The first question mark is simply physically, can you roll your sleeves up and get down and dirty inside the box? Now we know the answer is yes. In September we didn't really know the answer to that.
"... As the season went on and we needed to create more of a role for Abdul so those guys can be on the field at the same time. That's no easy thing [for Jacobs to play two positions]. That shows you what type of football IQ Curt has. There's not many guys on our field that play two positions, and Curt does."
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