PSU Nittany Lions

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Heading into next season, NittanyNation takes a closer look at holes left by departing Penn State players and the candidates who might fill them.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

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MCT/ZUMA Press/Icon SMIJordan Hill led Penn State defensive linemen with 64 tackles, which ranked fourth on the team.
• Who: Jordan Hill admitted he struggled in the first three games because he was unaccustomed to all the double teams. But, as the season wore on, he became one of this team's most valuable players. Even coming off a knee injury, there's no doubt he'll be playing on Sundays. He was a balanced defensive tackle who wasn't the biggest but was incredibly effective at plugging the middle when playing the three-technique. James Terry was the top backup on the interior and also filled in when Hill missed time.

• By the numbers: Penn State's defense allowed just 3.54 yards a carry, and Hill led the linemen with 64 stops. He finished fourth overall on the team in tackles, third in tackles for loss (8.5) and second in sacks (4.5). He also grabbed an interception on a play that's sure to make his draft highlights. Terry made 13 tackles, one sack and broke up a pass. Only three of those tackles were solo stops.

• Job description: It's not yet known if Hill's replacement will play at the one-technique, where Hill opened the season, or will take over his usual three-technique spot. Whoever it is -- and wherever he plays -- will have big shoes to fill. Bill O'Brien called Hill one of the top defensive tackles in the nation, and that wasn't much of an exaggeration. He was the best player on this defensive line, and he brought everything to the table except overwhelming size. Hill is 6-foot-1 and 292 pounds. His quickness and pursuit were more of an asset than his strength, but his departure leaves a big void on the interior. Terry's graduation means two defensive tackles will have to step up in 2013.

• Top candidates: Rising redshirt freshman Austin Johnson and rising redshirt junior Kyle Baublitz. Johnson redshirted but was a third-string player on the depth chart and seems to be ahead of the two other Class of 2012 DTs. Baublitz was the No. 4 DT and saw fewer snaps than Terry; he played in six games and finished the season with three tackles and a sack. One of these two will likely start, with the other taking Terry's role as the top backup.

• One to watch: Johnson. At 6-4 and 297 pounds, he's already bigger than Hill. He doesn't boast the same speed or quickness as the two-year starter, but he could be the biggest surprise on the line in 2013. O'Brien said on his radio show earlier in the year that Johnson is "going to be a forced to be reckoned with," and he's a player Penn State fans should familiarize themselves with. Even if he doesn't start, he should see quite a bit of time on the field.

For five years, defensive tackle James Terry has stood on the sidelines and watched.

He saw Devon Still wreak havoc in opposing backfields and then become an NFL starter. He looked on as Jared Odrick earned Big Ten Player of the Year honors, and he saw Ollie Ogbu sign with Indianapolis.

In half-a-decade and 38 career games, he's seen six defenders leap ahead of him on the depth chart. And he's competed in just one token start, where he stood on Beaver Stadium's turf for 24 snaps.

But, this week, Terry realizes he could finally get his chance. This weekend, he could be the starter. And, with Jordan Hill's sprained left knee, it won't simply be to see his name first on the depth chart.

"I don't really think I got frustrated at all," he said about his role Wednesday. "I've been waiting for my chance. And whenever my number got called, I was going to be ready to go.

"I don't really think of it as getting a shot. I just think of it as this is my time to step up and do my thing."

Terry often stared across the field the last five years, trying to break down live play as if it were film. He said he'd try to pick up nuances from Hill and Still, adding them to his own repertoire.

He didn't know when his jersey number -- 93 -- might be called. The Delaware native just tried to be ready. And, Saturday, when Hill writhed in pain on the 40-yard line, that time came.

Terry's role instantly evolved from a spectator, a situational player, to an athlete now practicing with the first-team.

"I've gone against him my whole career, and he's kind of always been the backup to Jordan Hill," fifth-year senior Matt Stankiewitch said. "And with Hill going day-to-day, I go against Terry a lot. He's a very strong individual and has a very strong bull-rush."

Terry, a 316-pound grad student, dispelled any notion of nerves. He's been on this team since 2008, when some current freshmen were first graduating from the jayvee team. He said he's never seen more than 45 snaps -- and he seemed more eager Wednesday than fearful.

Come Saturday, he expected to see at least 50 plays. And he can't wait to show what he can do with some extra playing time.

"Getting a more extended role, I think people will see the kind of player I am," he said.

Instead of standing on the sideline Saturday, Terry will have to do most of his watching with one hand in the dirt. He's seen Abe Koroma and DaQuan Jones, along with four other DTs, ahead of him on the depth chart.

But, after five seasons, he's finally through watching as the backup.