Young Western PA LB standing out early in Penn State football camp

Penn State football is soon closing the books on its first full week of training camp for the 2024 season. There’s still plenty of work to be done before the Nittany Lions take on West Virginia on August 31, but already there are a handful of young players beginning to stand out through several practices. Top among these emerging Nittany Lions for James Franklin and his staff is former Brashear linebacker Ta’Mere Robinson.

“A guy that right away, to me [impressed], when we went out in the field on the first day was Ta’Mere,” Franklin said of the redshirt freshman at Penn State football media day last Saturday. “Ta’Mere looked different. He really looked good. You noticed that right away.”

First-year special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach Justin Lustig went into more detail about why Robinson is separating himself. 

“You know, that’s one of the nice things about being new too, is having a blank slate when you’re evaluating personnel on the team,” Lustig said. “And Ta’Mere has been, number one, he’s a guy that’s working his tail off, that studies, that wants to be really good. And you know, and you just see him; he’s got the language, he’s got the athletic ability.

“You know, in the special teams room, I know you asked defensively but I think it correlates to defense, two things we talked about all the time are capability and trust. Like, that’s what we’re looking for. You got to be, obviously, you got to be capable, and you got to be trustworthy. And he’s a guy that fits those two categories. He’s long. He can run. He’s physical. And he’s working his tail off. So, I see big things for him on special teams and on defense.”

Can Robinson’s early progress translate to the field for Penn State football?

© Alex Disabella / Basic Blues Nation, 2024.

A top-five player in the state during the 2023 cycle, Ta’Mere Robinson saw limited action last fall. A lower leg injury cutting his high school career short, the former four-star recruit appeared in three games as a true freshman. 

However, Robinson’s limited experience has not kept the Penn State coaching staff quiet about his potential. 

“He’s one that’s flashed,” new defensive coordinator Tom Allen said when discussing Ta’Mere Robinson during spring practice. “As a matter of fact, even today, I thought he stuck out. He’s making plays, especially when he runs the alley. I think his confidence is growing each day in our system and learning the things that we’re doing that are different.

“To me, it’s his ability to track the ball, strike, and finish. He’s got long levers, and he can run, and that’s a great quality.”

James Franklin and the Nittany Lions could benefit from another young linebacker flashing in 2024. Penn State is relatively thin at the position in terms of both numbers and experience. The unit lost another rising defender last week following the dismissal of Kaveion Keys from the program. 

The room returns starter Kobe King and has high expectations for sophomore Tony Rojas. But as a position that Allen will lean on, the void this fall will have to be filled with other young Nittany Lions.

“That’s the group I’m really going to challenge to run our defense,” Allen said in December. “That’s what linebackers do. They make tackles, they make plays, and they lead with leadership and production.”

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