PSU Nittany Lions

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."

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.