Penn State freshman Daryus Dixson is grateful for his increased role

Just a couple months after he arrived at Penn State in January, Daryus Dixson created a buzz during spring practice.

His new coaches and teammates raved about him, despite him adjusting to living 3,000 miles from his Southern California home and despite acclimating himself to Pennsylvania weather.

“When I first got up here, I felt a little bit alone because I was so far from home,” Dixson said. “(Then) I got really sick. It was super cold to me. I just couldn’t function. It was to the point where I couldn’t move out of the bed.”

He overcame his homesickness and his illness in the spring semester and then the freshman wall in midseason.

He has seen extensive action at cornerback in the last three games, including his first career start, and has made an impact.

Dixson is expected to continue playing a significant role when the Nittany Lions (2-6 Big Ten, 5-6) finish the regular season against Rutgers (2-6, 5-6) Saturday at 3:30 (TV-BTN) at SHI Stadium.

“Every time I get out there, there are some growing pains,” he said. “When you do get out there as a freshman, things start to fly on you. You just have to maintain your composure and go with the plan. I’ve been getting more and more comfortable with the opportunities I’m getting. I’m very grateful for that.”

The 6-0, 195-pound Dixson was a four-star prospect from national powerhouse Mater Dei High School. He chose Penn State over Washington, Miami (Fla.) and Tennessee.

“I have to give a shoutout to his high school, his high school coaches and his parents,” said Jordan Lucas, the interim Penn State cornerbacks coach. “They’ve done a great job with him. He’s a very mature young man. Not much fazes him. The kid has a very bright future, to say the least.

“He’s smart. He’s mature. He takes care of business on and off the field.”

Dixson played in two of Penn State’s three non-conference games and then sat out four of the next five games, including losses to Oregon, UCLA, Iowa and Ohio State.

“I feel like the wall I hit was about making sure I was more consistent,” he said. “Everybody’s going to mess up. Everybody’s not perfect. It’s really about staying pretty consistent, knowing your job and your keys.

“And just having a nobody-can-mess-with-me type of mindset out there and making sure I’m trying to dominate everyone who’s in front of me.”

Dixson returned after that stretch against Indiana and had two tackles, including a sack of Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza, and a forced fumble. He made five stops against Michigan State and recovered a fumble.

Then last week, he made a career-high eight tackles in a 37-10 blowout win over Nebraska.

“He’s a great player,” linebacker Amare Campbell said. “Coming from Mater Dei, those guys come out of high school and they’re ready to play early. He’s a great kid. He’s going to be a great corner in the near future.

“I just tell him to keep working hard. He’s only a freshman. He has so much ball left to play. I’ve been impressed with him so far.”

Penn State quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, who replaced the injured Drew Allar in midseason, has frequently gone against Dixson, starting with spring practice.

“Daryus is a super talented kid,” Grunkemeyer said. “When he came here, you could see the flashes right away. He was making plays on the practice field. I was like, ‘Dang, that kid can make plays. That kid can play football.’

“Having a guy that young being able to make those types of plays this early is huge for him and our football team. He’s going to be a guy who’s going to continue to be on the rise. He’s just done a great job.”

Like so many others on the Penn State roster, Dixson is waiting to see who the next coach will be before he makes a decision about where he’ll be next season. Terry Smith, the interim coach, was the cornerbacks coach before James Franklin was fired after six games this season.

“Terry was the first person who really convinced me to actually make the move and come up here,” Dixson said. “Terry has a way of talking to kids. He understands and knows. He’s been a trustworthy, faithful man with a plan from the jump to me.

“I really haven’t been too stressed about it (his future). We are still in season. I feel like everybody should focus on the main goal. Just pray on it and leave it in God’s hands when the time comes. For now, I’m focusing on Rutgers and trying to come home with a win.”

Source: Berkshire mont