Breaking: Penn State football removes two key defensive players from the roster

of all the ways that Penn State could have started out training camp and this is one of the worst possible outcomes you are locked on nitty Lions your daily podcast on the Penn State nit Lions part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day J lions and caveon keys are no longer with the football team and what does the defensive depth chart now look like after this breaking news this is locked on nney lions I'm your host Zach Seiko and thanks so much for making us your first listen and watch every single day we are free and available wherever you get your podcast including YouTube be a part of the conversation this is a huge bit of news as lions and keys are no longer with the team they are no longer enrolled at the University as well so this got very serious this escalated very quickly on three had the first report today that lions and keys were no longer with the team as they do not appear on the roster anymore and the multiple other outlets confirm that with Penn State spokesman uh this is not this was probably one of the worst outcomes that Penn State could have had to start off training camp of course there I think of it as a way of a season ending injury almost but now this becomes very serious as what happened that led to lions and keys being removed from the team and from the University of as well today is Media Day James Franklin will certainly be asked about it we'll get as much information as we can but why I say this is one of the worst possible outcomes is because I mean this is going to crush team morale in a lot of different ways forget the forget the roster forget the okay who's next man up we we'll talk about that in a second the X's and O's but I want to talk about the psychology of this the sports psychology I'm not an expert in that stuff I I and I I don't want to pretend to but these are teammates these are our fellow brothers friends of these players and to start the season like this week one not even just a few days in and you get news that two key players on the defense are removed from the team it sounds like a very serious situation could even be escalated further down the road and this is how things start off I mean that is crushing to team morale because you lose not only two crucial parts to yes they were they had potential Jam lions and Kon keys were supposed to be breakout players on the defense this year and they are no longer with the team and then again those are are your friends fellow teammates that that you either look to or look up to for some people and now they're no longer with the team so a media day when this is a chance to have a positive outlook for the season the Big 10 conference expanded you have pretty lofty goals Penn State hopes to contend for a big 10 title make the big 10 championship game make the college football playoff uh obviously they would like to get a buy but it's realistic that they could have a chance at hosting a playoff game and this is what you have to address on media day you have to address the fact that these two players are no longer with the team you're going to take questions on why they are no longer with the team what had happened I can't imagine that anybody is going to give us that kind of information because it's still not available yet unless it is but we'll see what they do in fact answer rather than focusing on okay how did the team get better how did the team improve this is what you have to deal with on this day on on media day but it's obviously a very serious situation to be re removed from the team like this no longer enrolled at the University like I said in the previous episode I am hopeful that the appropriate resolution is taken it's obviously the case in any sort of situation it's not just relative to this one Whatever the consequences are whatever the resolution needs to be that's what I hope for okay so that's where I'm going to leave it at that we're going to take a Timeout on this bonus content episode we'll talk about the actual impact the X's and O's the roster breakdown the depth chart and Penn State does have some concerns moving forward now at linebacker specifically we'll talk about that that next coming up here on locked on nitty Lions a lot of this is going to be carried over from the previous episode where I initially reacted to keys and lions being away from the team and how this would impact the depth chart because you had to assume that okay if they if they are suspended are they not going to be there for West Virginia so what would the depth chart actually look like and linebacker just gets a little more concerning so we'll we'll talk about next ManUp mentality here because who are the players that are going to have to step up since these roles have been vacated here and linebacker was already one of my concerns I think offensive line is the biggest position group of concern but linebacker now gets a little murkier here because Kavon Keys had an optimistic Outlook as a player former fourstar was down to Penn State in North Carolina in his top three schools when he was being recruited those were the two main ones there so he was going to be a pro ECT that could have had a really good college football career and was supposed to kind of take that next step forward you ask fellow defensive teammates assistant coaches hey who's that next player that's really stood out or who who could be in line for a potential breakout and nine times out of 10 they would either say Kavon keys or Jamal Lions so in regard to linebacker you're losing somebody that was probably going to be a key rotational backup Kobe King is going to be your anchor Mike linebacker in a 425 whatever they come out in 425 ever they if they roll out the 42 the 43 defense pardon me Kobe King's going to always be there and then it's a matter of Tony roas Dom Duca who's that second linebacker next to Kobe King and then your third that's where that's where it gets interesting could Kon Keys have been one of the starters in a 43 defensive look maybe because I think Tyler ellon is going to be the backup to Kobe King you start Tony Roos and then who do you start on the other side there could Kavon Keys have factored into that kind of role depending on the defensive look at the end of the day this this is a big deal from the depth chart perspective Kavon Keys was going to play a lot more this season I think just given the need at linebacker but also the talent the potential that was there now as far as next man up goes okay so I've named the other players that are going to factor in a lot at linebacker Kobe King Tony Roos Tyler ellon Dom Duca then there's Tamir Robinson Tamir Robinson's been mentioned on the show Keon Wy is somebody that is hurt but is expected to return we don't exactly have a timetable but James Franklin last time he spoke about Keon wy's availability is the fact that he would be returning alongside defensive end Zariah Fischer who's coupled in that injury report there but then you turn to the Freshman linebackers that were recruited Anthony specka and Ki Jackson because because of need and numbers do you potentially burn those red shirts I thought a red shirt both of them it would have been extremely valuable to get them a red shirt and now you might have to relinquish that opportunity to allow them de to develop I can't say which way or another both of them are pretty comparable prospects as far as they're true Mike linebackers they're not that off-ball that Abdul Carter type they are closer to a Kobe King type of role than an Abdul Carter so that's whereas I think that k on Keys really had that all-encompassing role where he could have been a Mike linebacker or played any of the three linebacker spots in a 4-3 defensive look traditionally what Penn State has run whereas speca and Jackson I think are more of your traditional Mike linebackers and they would need that time to develop if that was the case there's Tyrese Mills that's bounced back and forth between linebacker and safety that could factor in but that's really it I the focus now I think Tamir Robinson is the name that vaults forward the most a lot of responsibility is going to be put on him to develop quickly Tony Roos as well these second these second-year linebackers yes Tony Roos was looked to but again Kavon Keys was going to be that bridge as well now Tamir Robinson Bears a lot more responsibility here let's move back to defensive end Abdul Carter's going back and forth is he going to be a defensive end is he a linebacker it's a week by- week basis what the game plan is for him and now it's a lot more understandable given this situation why Penn State would want to move forward doing that I think defensive end is still in a better place than linebacker because you have the proven Talent the N Dennis Sutton did it last year Abdul Carter's just a freak athlete I think he could play safety he'd be very good Zariah Fischer there's optimism about him returning from injury as well but then Smith vilbert back this season that Outback bow performance which feels like decades ago where he had three sacks against Arkansas he's back in the fold there's a mean van over Jal Lions here his absence doesn't necessarily hurt the depth chart as much yes it does because it is the absence of a of a player of a body at defensive end but his potential his ceiling I think were a lot higher Intel had indicated or anybody that you asked Kon keys of course received that due praise but J Jam Lions it was a different type of conversation everyone would everyone would go to J Lions Penn State burned his red shirt immediately he played an eight game he appeared in eight games last season you don't just do that for any particular reason there were high hopes for JAL Lions to be that next star defensive end to reach a true potential of being a chop Robinson type and AD diesa Isaac where he could have been a day one or a day two draft pick I'm not I'm not trying to exaggerate that was the outlook for Jam Lions if he had reached his top his top potential he was supposed to be work his way into that role of being that rotational third defensive end so was Abdul Carter denied in his Sutton then J Lions kind of rotating back and forth being that next man so jam Lions is out Smith vilbert you got to hope that Zariah Fischer can come back sooner rather than later there's a lot of Zariah Fischer is someone that can be a serviceable pass rusher as well he has developed very nicely just run into the injury bug periodically here Amin vanover strong Edge Setter I he's more run stuffer in my opinion but they have at defensive end for a reason and not defensive tackle so that's what you're losing you're losing potential at defensive end you're losing a much needed player on the depth chart at linebacker with keys having an optimistic Outlook that he would be another household name at linebacker so the Penn State Defense takes takes a pretty hefty hit here it it really does that's the conclusion here those are the names that next man up mentality those are the names that are going to be in the put into the conversation but this couldn't there there were a lot of ways that Penn State could have started training camp off and this was not this was not one of them and I get it it's circumstantial it's very unfortunate like I said I I am hopeful for the appropriate resolution but in terms of the football Outlook it it is not good for a variety of reasons and that's going to do it for this bonus episode of Locked on nney lions be a part of the conversation down in the comments section let me know your thoughts if you're not already becom an everyday or subscribe to the YouTube channel and wherever you get your podcast and I'll talk to you next time here as it is Media day so we'll have plenty of more content on the way surrounding Penn State football and all your favorite Penn State sports teams here on lockon nitty lines