Manny Bowen is back for Penn State's unusual linebacker revival

STATE COLLEGE — The famed linebacker position, of all things, is one of the most blurry areas of this Top 10 team heading into preseason camp.

Linebacker U. is a collection a mutts, so to speak, even if in a good way.

One is a former walk-on.

Another is 6-foot-5.

Two are former safeties.

Maybe the most talented is only a true freshman.

And the biggest storyline during Saturday's media day in Beaver Stadium was the linebacker once seemingly lost who made a dramatic re-appearance on the Penn State roster.

Senior Manny Bowen, twice suspended from James Franklin's team, is back in some form.

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He first was suspended for an undisclosed reason prior to the 2017 Rose Bowl. He then missed the final regular season games last year before being kicked off the team for a violation of teams rules with receiver Irv Charles just before the Fiesta Bowl.

Though Franklin and defensive coordinator Brent Pry were ambiguous about Bowen's role moving forward, he is the most experienced linebacker and arguably the team's best.

Despite missing four games last season, he still finished fifth in tackles with 51, added 3.5 tackles for loss while also forcing that big early fumble at Ohio State.

It was all about Bowen completing a list of requirements to earn his way back, Franklin said, "and we didn't make it easy on him."

Bowen is set to graduate in December.

"You know, I was surprised when he said, 'I'm going to try to grind this thing out,' because the easiest thing to do would have been just to transfer," Franklin said. "We put a bunch of stipulations out, and he did those stipulations.

"After that, I can't tell you what his role on the team is going to be like."

Pry said he's known Bowen since his sophomore year in high school in New Jersey.

"You know, it's great to have him out there mentoring the young guys on the field. He's a student of the game. He's played a good number of snaps for us. He's coaching the heck out of some of those guys right now, not knowing what his role will be.

"In my mind, I'm not planning on Manny Bowen right now. With what we know, the information we have, that's the way this thing's playing out right now, and if things change, we'll take another look at it."

When asked to clarify Bowen's impact on his teammates, Pry added this:

"So just having him in that room and out there at practice, you just can’t replace that. He’s experienced. [His teammates] respect the heck out of him. He’s probably the hardest worker in the unit. ... Those guys coach the heck out of young guys."

Bowen certainly could reinforce a still-growing group, where some of the most highly touted talent is the youngest. 

True freshman Micah Parsons was rated as one of the top players in the nation, regardless of position. Fellow freshman Jesse Luketa was an impressive four-star prospect and also expects to get a shot this fall.

Five-star Virginia linebacker Brandon Smith recently committed verbally to Penn State, but he's got another year of high school ahead.

Among the current crop at Linebacker U.?

Senior Koa Farmer and junior Jarvis Miller are former safeties. Farmer, from Southern California, rarely even played defense in high school.

Junior Cam Brown looks more like a receiver at 6-foot-5 and 226 pounds. He may have the longest wingspan on the team.

"He looks skinny out there, but Cam's physical as hell," Farmer said. "Micah's a freak athlete. Jesse's mature, very smart football player. He reminds me of Jason (Cabinda). He looks like Jason, he acts like Jason."

And one of the potential starting middle linebackers is Governor Mifflin's Jan Johnson, the former walk-on who also wrestled some at heavyweight for Penn State's perennial national championship-caliber team.

Johnson missed most of 2017 after tearing his ACL and made just a dozen tackles in six games last year.

Another possible starter is redshirt freshman Ellis Brooks, who has not played in a game yet. Senior Jake Cooper often has been injured and forgotten since seeing playing time as a true freshman.

This mismatch group excites Pry, their leader. He uses Brandon Smith, the former walk-on who became a part-time starter the past two years, as an example.

"Look at what Brandon Smith did. He helped us win a Big Ten championship and helped us win a Fiesta Bowl. Who’s to say Jan Johnson is any different than that?

"Right now, going into into his junior year, Jan is further along than Smitty was."

Of course, the Penn State linebackers — and the defense, as a whole — will have to prove themselves in month. Most are skeptical because of the linebackers and replacing so many starters overall.

"I will say this," Pry started, as a smile widened. "We took five magazine quotes about 'losing eight starters' and 'no strength up the middle' and 'can't be as good as last year,' and we got those plastered in our defensive meeting room."