Penn State Football: Optimism for Isaac and Mustipher Returns

Penn State strength and condition coach (officially titled Assistant AD for Performance Enhancement) Chuck Losey is optimistic about the return timelines of defensive standouts PJ Mustipher and Adisa Isaac.

Isaac missed all of last season with a lower body injury — reportedly an achilles injury — and was subsequently not part of Penn State’s defensive end rotations. Ultimately the injury worked out okay for a Nittany Lion defense that saw the growth of linebacker/defensive end Jesse Luketa and Temple transfer Arnold Ebiketie. Luketa made the change to a hybrid role in large part due to Isaac’s injury. Both he and Ebiketie are hopeful for early to mid round selections in the upcoming NFL Draft.

“They’re exactly where they need to be right now,” Losey said of Isaac and Mustipher on Thursday following a team lift. Penn State is working out in a makeshift weight room at Holuba Hall as the Lasch Building undergoes renovations. “Adisa has done an outstanding job attacking his rehab so he’s on schedule, we feel really good about him.”

The redshirt junior was expected to start in 2021 after appearing in all nine games in 2020.

As for Mustipher, the standout veteran defensive tackle was in the middle of a career year when he was injured early in the Nittany Lions’ eventual loss to Iowa on the road. Prior to the injury, Mustipher had been voted a team captain and had already registered 21 tackles through effectively five games of action. Mustipher was seen on Thursday doing some weight work while Isaac was present but was not lifting.

“Having his presence… he has a voice that carries,” Losey said of Mustipher. “When PJ speaks, everyone listens… I told him he needs to be an extension of the coaching staff and he has taken that seriously and he has put himself in a good position coming up for spring ball.”

Penn State head coach James Franklin was present for a portion of Thursday’s lift but did not speak to the media and has not recently offered an update on either player’s status.

Both players will look to work with new defensive coordinator Manny Diaz in his first year at the helm of the Nittany Lion defense. Diaz is replacing longtime defensive coordinator Brent Pry who previously took the head coaching job at Virginia Tech earlier this offseason.

As for Losey, he takes over in place of longtime strength and conditioning coach Dwight Galt III, who retired from the profession this offseason. Losey was promoted internally for the role.