After last week's news surrounding the injury status of Koby Howard, Penn State fans could be forgiven for not wanting to hear anymore bad news. Now though, a pivotal defensive starter could miss some time as well. Sophomore cornerback Daryus Dixson apparently struggled with an injury during the Wisconsin game and is currently listed as questionable for the game against Northwestern.
Dixson did end up practicing today, but coach Matt Campbell may not want to take any chances considering the injury status of other key players. However, during his media availability after the practice, he did mention that fellow corners Jahmir Joseph and Zion Tracy would be. able to step up should Dixson miss this week's game. “I thought Jahmir played his best
game that I've seen, and then (Zion’s) ability to play all three spots in the secondary is huge,” Campbell said. “If that's the case, both those guys would certainly have to step up and get more reps.”
For Dixson, this could be a minor setback for what has been looking like a breakout season for the young corner. He recorded his first interception of the season last week and played the most snaps out of anyone on the defensive side of the ball. Most impressively, he has only allowed three receptions all season long, with the longest only being 16 yards. Against Buffalo, he also recorded a blocked field goal, proving his versatility and importance to the squad.
While Dixson should be good to go should he miss the Northwestern game, others are not as lucky. Defensive end Max Granville suffered a season-ending injury in the first game of the season, his second in as many years. As for Koby Howard, no one knows when he will likely return, but to expect him to only miss a couple of games would be wishful thinking. Penn State fans can only hope this Dixson injury is the last of its kind this season.
This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Penn State DB questionable for Northwestern game
