The No. 11 Ole Miss Rebels and No. 10 Penn State Nittany Lions are preparing for the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Dec. 30 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, and part of that preparation involves scouting.
The Rebels and Nittany Lions have never faced one another on the gridiron, so many Ole Miss fans may be unfamiliar with the Penn State program under James Franklin. It never hurts to familiarize yourself with the next opponent on the schedule, so why not start now?
That’s where The Grove Reportcomes in. Over the next few days, we will dive in to the Nittany Lions on a position-by-position basis, giving you a look at what Penn State is expected to field on that Saturday in Atlanta. This is a New Year’s Six bowl game after all, so the stakes are rather high.
We have already previewed the Nittany Lions’ defensive line talent, and today we will take a look at their linebacker corps.
LB Curtis Jacobs
High School: McDonogh School (Maryland)
Height: 6-1
Weight: 235
2023 Stats: 47 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and two fumble recoveries
Jacobs finished third on the Nittany Lions in total tackles (47) and second in TFLs (eight) this season, and will be the thumper on Penn State’s defense primarily focused on stopping Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins.
The former four-star recruit was rated as the No. 3 player in the state of Maryland and the No. 7 linebacker in the 2020 cycle, per On3’s database.