PSU Nittany Lions

Safeties coach Anthony Midget didn't dwell on the difficulties of becoming accustomed to another defense or meshing with his players' personalities after less than three months on the job.

No, the assistant coach who was hired Feb. 14 instead used words Tuesday like "easy" and "blessing" when talking about the transition to Penn State. He complimented the leadership of veteran safeties Malcolm Willis and Stephen Obeng-Agyapong, thanked defensive coordinator John Butler for helping him along and emphasized just how happy he was to be at "one of the storied programs in the country."

"It's been great and a blessing," Midget said Tuesday afternoon, the first time he addressed the media since his hire. "Everything happened so fast."

The former Virginia Tech standout, a three-year starting cornerback under Frank Beamer, initially left Georgia State for Marshall this offseason. But, about a week-and-a-half after taking that Conference USA gig, Bill O'Brien called him to gauge his interest in the Nittany Lions' opening.

Midget said the opportunity was just too good to pass up. He could stay with the Thundering Herd or head north to a school that averaged about 70,000 more fans a game. It wasn't a hard decision -- with or without sanctions.

"I was really surprised," Midget said. "And I guess Coach O'Brien had a mutual friend that recommended me. It was an opportunity. He called me and asked if there was interest, and I said yes."

The young coach with the thin goatee has become a fixture inside Holuba Hall and the football building since his hire. He directs a core group of about eight safeties and sometimes switches off with Butler, teaching the cornerbacks some fundamentals or fine-tuning their technique.

They'll coach their groups separately, but they'll watch film and hold meetings together to increase their communication. Midget called himself a fiery, energetic coach -- not unlike Butler -- and said he knows he demands a lot from his players. But, after practices, he tries to soften up some.

"When we walk off that field, our doors are open, and we can have fun together and do what we need to do," he said. "It's that relationship that you're building with the guys, and they understand us being fiery and demanding."

His old boss, former Georgia State coach Bill Curry, said shorty after his hire that's been Midget's personality since he first hired him five years ago. The young coach tries to separate his on-field and off-field demeanor.

"Off the field, he is outgoing, and he's humorous when it's the right time to be humorous," Curry told ESPN in a Q&A. "But he can be serious. He's tough as nails. So when he gets on the field, the humor's gone. He coaches football with great intensity; he expects everything out of everyone on every drill."

Despite that hard-nosed approach, the safeties coach pinpointed a number of defensive backs who have impressed him so far. He praised Ryan Keiser's offseason work, admired Adrian Amos' versatility as a cornerback, safety and nickelback -- and believed wideout-turned-safety Malik Golden had a bright future.

"He's picked up on it as far from a physical standpoint," Midget said. "He just has some natural abilities that I think's going to help us in the future. He's still learning throughout the spring, but I'm encouraged physically from what he's shown in the time of the short practices we've had."

Like Golden, this spring has been a time of transition for Midget. And both seem to be moving along pretty well.

The pace of the assistant coach's transition likely has quickened because his responsibilities are more focused. During his previous stint at Georgia State, Midget carried the burden of following recruiting and also taking charge as the secondary coach, defensive coordinator and special teams coach -- something Curry said he would have preferred to avoid.

Now, the focus is primarily on the safeties and on recruiting in the South Florida and Cleveland areas. And Midget seemed pretty thankful Tuesday for that.

"To be able to focus on just one position, it's been great," Midget said. "I think the game has changed so much; I think it's a benefit to have two secondary coaches."

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Every spring, a few players step up and offer the first glimpses of an upcoming breakout season. Often, the media can only guess and project since they're not at every practice, weightlifting session and team meeting.

The players, however, are there and can see who might be the next Deion Barnes or Allen Robinson. So, NittanyNation polled several players inside the Lasch Football Building on Wednesday and also took information from Wednesday teleconferences.

The question: Who's made the biggest impact this spring or who's been the biggest surprise? Here's what Penn State's veterans had to say:

Linebacker Glenn Carson: "I'm really impressed with Jesse James. He's had a great winter. That kid's just an animal. I'm really excited to watch him play this year. I think he's a freak athlete. I think he can do amazing things. And if you haven't been impressed by him yet, I think you're going to be even more impressed by him next year."

Offensive guard John Urschel: "Ty Howle is a great center and a great football player. I'd say he's one of the most underrated football players on our team. You don't hear about him enough. I don't think you guys talk about him enough. I don't think we're going to have any problems with him playing at center."

Defensive tackle DaQuan Jones: "I really think Austin Johnson, Derek Dowrey and Brian Gaia. They're young, but they're showing a lot of ability. They're going to be great down the road. I'm happy seeing their competitiveness in spring ball."

Safety Malcolm Willis: "It's a number of guys. If I had to pick one, it'd probably be John Urschel. He comes in every day early and gets his workout in early. And pound for pound, he's probably one of the strongest guys on the team. Mike Hull, he's another guy who works his butt off. Adrian Amos. Zach Zwinak -- I work out with him in the weight room every day, and the amount of weight he can put up, it's crazy. Those are a couple of the guys who have really impressed me so far."

Offensive tackle Adam Gress: "I'd have to say a lot of the defensive linemen are coming along. All of the younger guys are really working hard, and the guys I was playing against on the scout team last year, now those guys are players. They're people we compete with. So that group's made a lot of progress. ... Austin Johnson's definitely made a lot of progress."

Linebacker Mike Hull: "Nyeem [Wartman] has looked good so far. He's doing a great job filling in. I think he's going to be a great player for us. We just need to all come together as a unit. He's looking good so far, so we just have to see how he progresses."

Defensive end Deion Barnes: "I think it would be Kyle Baublitz. I think he's doing a great job right now. Whoever's been talking to him has done a great job because he's come out of his shell. I've never seen him like this before."

Over the past week, NittanyNation has taken a glance at different positions and their outlook for next season.

• Who: Stephen Obeng-Agyapong and Malcolm Willis both return as starters and rising redshirt seniors. Willis was known as the quarterback of the secondary, while teammates called Obeng-Agyapong the most improved player since Week 1. Ryan Keiser is a solid special teams player and might be next in line if someone goes down. Then again, there's certainly enough young players here to push for time as backups. Jake Kiley and Jordan Lucas (listed as a CB but could also play S) appear to be the furthest ahead, while incoming freshman Neiko Robinson should be a solid addition to the scout team for now. Kasey Gaines is almost guaranteed to redshirt.

• Strengths: These starters are experienced, and they made some nice improvements in the second half of the season. Willis added a lot to the communication of the defense, and it was pretty evident when he was out of the lineup. Obeng-Agyapong made longer strides than anyone else on defense, and there's a lot of potential here in a quartet consisting of incoming freshmen and redshirt freshmen.

• Weaknesses: Although the safeties made great strides last season, they were still the Achilles' heel of this defense. PSU had to resort to more zone coverage because they seemed to lack awareness and were a liability on third downs. Neither safety recorded an interception, and they need to shore up the middle of the field better than in 2012.

• Surprise player: Kiley. Bill O'Brien mentioned him by name on Monday, and he's also been a player who's received quite a bit of praise since preseason camp. He likely won't see much time this season, but he could still end up being a three-year starter. This year will go a long way in determining his development and future role. Somebody needs to replace Willis and Obeng-Agyapong in 2014.

• Overall: This will obviously be an improved group from last season because both starters return and finally have more experience under their belts. The graduation of Jake Fagnano doesn't hurt that much, and fans can expect to see above-average production out of the safeties. This isn't a strength of the defense -- not by any means -- but it should no longer be a liability. Obeng-Agyapong especially has a lot of potential, and these two starters will be looked upon as leaders in the secondary.

Over the past week, NittanyNation has taken a look at different players from the 2012 class that could make a big impact next season. (Steven Bench is not included because he was on last week's overall list of breakout players.)

No. 1 player to watch: CB Da'Quan Davis

He's not the biggest name of the 2012 class, but he's in prime position to be a starter next season. He'll likely take over for Stephon Morris, and he could make or break the secondary.

He's followed a similar path as Adrian Amos to this point. Amos played in all but one game as a true freshman -- and so did Davis. However, Amos definitely seemed more advanced at the end of his 2011 freshman campaign.

Still, the rising sophomore definitely showed flashes of potential. He's the kind of player who shows up early to lift and then leaves late. And he doesn't shy away from competition.

"If one of his teammates spits, he'll have to spit further," said his high school position coach, Cory Robinson, earlier this year.

Bill O'Brien praised his work ethic and, with another year to learn and improve, Davis' freshman season could really just be the launching pad to become a three-year starter. He has the drive, he just needs the experience.

And, with the loss of five defensive starters, Davis' performance will be more important than ever next season. He'll be critical in helping determine whether this secondary can take a big step from 2012 and prevent big plays and third-down conversions. He's definitely a player to watch.

Quotables: "He's really come on strong at camp. He's a young guy; the mental aspect, he's still grasping that. But as far as his ability to play football, he's fantastic. He has quick feet and good ball skills, so I expect a lot of big things out of that guy." - Safety Malcolm Willis

This week, NittanyNation is counting down the five Penn State players who weren't named to the All-Big Ten teams and are poised for breakout seasons in 2013.

The No. 3 breakout player: CB Adrian Amos, rising junior

He's frequently been named one of the best athletes on this team, and it's easy to see why. He has the versatility to play cornerback and safety -- and as a true freshman, under an old-school coach who sparingly played rookies, Amos saw action in 12 games.

The defensive back started every game this past season and nearly earned a spot on the All-Big Ten team. He was an honorable mention, and even bigger things are expected from him in 2013.

With Stephon Morris' graduation, Amos will play an even bigger role. And with another year of experience under the safeties' belts, defensive coordinator Ted Roof could decide to call for more man coverage -- a strength of Amos.

A member of the "Supa Six," Amos led the secondary in interceptions (2) and earned a reputation as a hard-hitter. He boasts a great combination of speed and smarts and should make an even bigger name for himself in 2013 as one of the best cornerbacks in the Big Ten.

He quickly landed on the radar in 2012, but his sophomore season wasn't quite a breakout, not like Allen Robinson. But next season? Well, it would be a surprise if he didn't earn a spot as a member of the All-Big Ten's first- or second team.

Malcolm Willis may be known as the quarterback of the secondary, but Amos should be the star.

Quotables: "He's having a great season. I believe he's one of the best cornerbacks in the Big Ten. In the summer time, I thought he was going to be special. I'm just glad it's coming true." -- Morris

Matt McGloin used some strange adjectives to describe his offense's performance against Illinois. He skipped over "dynamic" and "high-powered" -- and went straight to "not enough."

Just one week ago, the fifth-year signal-caller said his goal entailed scoring 35 points. Sure enough, Penn State upended Illinois 35-7. But, this week, McGloin sounded as if it was Illinois who had scored the five touchdowns.

"We can do better than that," said McGloin, who ran for two touchdowns and passed for another.

"Anytime we get inside the 25 or 30, we got to put points on the board. We got the ability and plays to do it, so we got to stop making dumb mistakes near the goal line."

McGloin wasn't wrong. Despite its biggest scoring output of the season, the Nittany Lions were just 4-of-7 on their red-zone chances. For the season, Penn State is scoring just 62 percent of the time it enters the red zone -- the 11th-worst rate in the country.

On the flip side, Northwestern's defense has toughened up in that area and has allowed just seven touchdowns in 18 trips.

"I'd like to see myself do better," McGloin added, "and be more consistent at times."

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