Who is going to be Penn State’s best defender? Our picks to be the defensive MVP

Penn State’s season opener against West Virginia is now under three weeks away. The Nittany Lions will take the field in Beaver Stadium on Sept. 2, but until then, we’ll be breaking down what to expect from the program this season. Last week, we chose our offensive MVP. This week, we’ll flip to the other side of the ball and the unit led by coordinator Manny Diaz.

Let’s take a look at our picks for Penn State’s defensive MVP.

Jon Sauber: CB Kalen King

This is significantly more difficult than picking the offensive MVP. Penn State’s defense is loaded and should play at a high level across the board. It helps, of course, that there are two potential first round picks just in the 2024 NFL Draft. Defensive end Chop Robinson is one, and King is the other. I’ll give the nod to the latter for one specific reason — Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.

Penn State’s chances of making the College Football Playoff hinge on the Nittany Lions’ ability to beat either Ohio State or Michigan, and right now the former seems more likely, despite that being an away game. The main reason is the question mark the Buckeyes have at quarterback, but that can partially be resolved by having the best wide receiver in the country in Harrison.

King will be tasked with handling him in that game, something he’s capable of doing. If he wins that matchup, that could shift that game and the entire Penn State season. It helps that he should be able to shut down pretty much any non-Michigan or Ohio State receiver on Penn State’s schedule.

Josh Moyer: LB Abdul Carter

I didn’t have to think much about offensive MVP. (Easy. QB Drew Allar. Next!) But it’s a bit different on defense, where several players boast legitimate shots at All-America status. There’s strong competition here, and choosing a preseason MVP is no easy task.

Still, I’m going with the linebacker whose freshman campaign trumped even that of former Penn State great Micah Parsons. Carter became only the second Penn State freshman to ever record 10 tackles for loss and six sacks, and he isn’t resting on his laurels as a sophomore. Heck, he said he’s aiming for the Butkus Award, given to the nation’s top linebacker. And that’s not unrealistic.

In Parsons’ 2018 rookie campaign, he finished with five tackles-for-loss, 1.5 sacks, five QB hurries and two forced fumbles over 13 games. In that same 13-game span, Carter had the following last season: 10.5 tackles-for-loss, six sacks, five QB hurries and two forced fumbles. Even if the Parsons comparison might be a bit generous, there’s no arguing Carter is a talented player who oozes potential. I’m jumping on the Carter bandwagon now — and, if you haven’t already, I suggest you do the same.

Matt DiSanto: CB Kalen King

King was already one of the best defensive backs in the country last season, and I expect him to improve even more throughout his junior season. He should have no trouble finding enough playing time as an every-game starter now that Joey Porter Jr. is off to the Pittsburgh Steelers as the No. 32 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

As a starter, King has all the tools to flash as a true shutdown cornerback. He already showed his knack for challenging receivers by leading the Big Ten in passes defended (21) and pass breakups (18) in 2022, and I’d expect those trends to continue with the Nittany Lions in 2023. A few months from now, I’m confident fans will look back on this season and view King as Penn State’s next elite defensive back.