For Penn State, being a zero (on your jersey) is a good thing. A very good thing — and, for the past three seasons, a very good person.
Sixth-year senior Jonathan Sutherland, who transitioned from safety to linebacker in 2022, was the first Penn State football player to wear jersey No. 0. He was accorded that special honor in 2020 for his leadership contributions and special teams prowess.
Along with veteran Nittany Lion quarterback Sean Clifford, Sutherland was the first Penn State player to be named a captain for four consecutive seasons. Now, after six years at PSU, Sutherland has one game to go until he hangs up No. 0.
When Sutherland — a native of Ontario who played high school football in Virginia— was given No. 0 three seasons ago, Penn State announced that it would go to a “tough, dependable, disciplined, physical leader who inspires teammates with his accountability and production.”
At the time, Penn State head coach James Franklin said that Sutherland was “the ultimate example of what our program is all about.”
Sutherland had 35 tackles this season, sixth on the squad, to tally 134 for his career. Off the field, he has been an Academic All-Big Ten selection and has been awarded a pair of key Penn State honors that emphasize his off-the-field contributions. In 2020, he won the Bob Mitinger Memorial Award, given to “the ultimate teammate, who exhibits courage, character and social responsibility.” In 2022, he won the Ridge Riley Award for his “core values.”
On Jan. 2 against Utah in the Rose Bowl, Sutherland will play his 58th and final game as a Nittany Lion. It will be his 32nd game wearing jersey No. 0.
Who will wear it next?
“We got a bunch of guys,” Sutherland said a few weeks ago. “Two that stick out to me right away to do that are Dom DeLuca, special teams ace, and Tyler Warren.”
You can add Malick Meiga to that list. It’s a three-man race, and DeLuca is the likeliest candidate. Here are capsule descriptions of the three candidates, with insight and comments from defensive coordinator Manny Diaz, special teams coordinator Stacey Collins and veteran defensive end Nick Tarburton.
DOM DELUCA (LB, redshirt freshman, 6-1, 211)
DeLuca sees considerable time on special teams and at linebacker. Two weeks ago, he shared Penn State’s 2022 “outstanding run-on” award with Tank Smith. He ranked ninth on the 2022 squad in total tackles, with 27 — tied with defensive luminaries Joey Porter Jr. and Kalen King. He had two tackles for a loss, a QB sack and a blocked punt. In 2021, DeLuca was the defensive scout team player of the year.
At Wyoming Area (Pa.) High School, DeLuca was a four-year starter, three-time captain and a two-way player. He had two interceptions in the 2022 Blue-White Game, leading me to chronicle his remarkable journey that included a devastating injury and a hard-fought comeback here.
COLLINS: “Dom’s been awesome. Look at what he’s done consistently. He’s been elite running down on our kickoff units. On the opening kickoff against Michigan State, he split a double (team) and made the tackle inside the 20. He’s really workmanlike. I can’t say enough good things about Dom DeLuca. He certainly fits in that role. Look at the amount of reps that he’s played on special teams and the production he’s had, especially on the coverage units. He blocked a punt for us this year.”
DIAZ: “I think that Luc is a guy that if you look at the entire season, he’s come off as an unsung hero. His role on the special teams has been fantastic. And then what he does for us on defense…Dom is a guy who goes on the field and just makes plays and makes things happen.
“Dom is tough and smart. He’s got a nose for the football. He got a big break-up in the fourth down against Michigan State. He goes in against Rutgers and on his first play he has a tackle for a loss and on the second play he forced a fumble. He is just one of those guys who makes things happen.
“We talked about it after the season: If you look at what his role was on the ’21 team, he sort of advanced the ball. Then look what he did in ’22. His goal now is to find a way to craft a bigger role on the team going into ’23.”
TARBURTON: “Dom is a hell of a player, man. He’s a guy who just comes in and works as hard as he can each and every day. You know what you’re gonna get from him each and every day. Just a true tough guy. It’s fun to play by his side.”
TYLER WARREN (TE, sophomore, 6-6, 256)
Just as DeLuca sees a good deal of playing beyond special teams, Warren gets a lot of run at tight end, where the Virginia native is third at the spot behind Brenton Strange and Theo Johnson. In 2021, Warren also played the Wildcat in goal line situations, rushing for two touchdowns. In 2022, Warren had nine receptions, averaging 12.0 yards per grab, with three receiving TDs. He also notched a fumble recovery.
COLLINS: “Tyler is very similar to Sutherland in how he approaches every practice and every rep. It’s great to be around those guys. He is extremely consistent. He knows exactly what’s going on from a schematic standpoint. He’s physical. He can make quick adjustments. He plays and practices at an elite level.”
MALICK MEIGA (WR, sophomore, 6-4, 200)
At Penn State’s regular-season-ending banquet, Meiga was named the team’s “outstanding special teams player.” He exhibited great speed on Penn State’s coverage team. Born in the Ivory Coast, he resides in Canada. As a backup wide receiver, Meiga has six career receptions for an impressive average of 16.1 yards per catch, with a TD reception. He had four tackles on special teams in 2022, plus one forced fumble.
COLLINS: “I have to also include Malick Meiga. Malick is another guy that I have to bring up in that conversation because those three guys (Meiga, DeLuca and Warren) are exactly where we want them to be. They put it on tape. He’s been a force coming down on punts. On our kickoff coverage, his speed down the middle of field has disrupted a lot of people.”a
