Five Penn State football players to watch

Oct 3, 2015; University Park, PA, USA; Army Black Knights running back John Trainor (6) runs with the ball in front of Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Jason Cabinda (40) during the second quarter at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

No. 3 Jason Cabinda

As was mentioned above, the Nittany Lions have an extremely talented front seven. Sophomore linebacker Jason Cabinda is another reason that this is one of the top defensive units in the Big Ten. In terms of total defense, Penn State is only yielding 297.6 yards-per-game, which ranks fourth in the conference. If time has taught us anything, it’s that Penn State is known as “Linebacker U” for a reason. Just think of some of the greats that have spent their collegiate careers in Happy Valley: LaVar Arrington, Jack Ham, and Paul Posluszny.

Cabinda has a chance to be mentioned in the same breath as those talented players if he keeps playing the way he has early in his collegiate career. The Hunterdon Central (NJ) product tallied up 17 tackles (seven solo) during a five-game stretch at the end of the 2014 season. One of the first things that jumps off the tape is that Cabinda is a supreme tackler, especially in the open field. This is the type of linebacker that simply never gives up on a play. Cabinda is also a very strong player that is consistently able to fight off of his blockers and make plays. He is Penn State’s best tackler and is definitely someone that Maryland will have to account for.