Correspondent photo / Robert Hayes YSU defensive backs DJ Harris (left) and Makai Shahid (6) celebrate in the end zone after a pick-six from Harris during the Penguins’ second scrimmage of fall camp on Saturday at Stambaugh Stadium.

YOUNGSTOWN — With 10 days until the 2025 season kicks off, there’s a renewed sense of optimism in the air around Stambaugh Stadium when it comes to Youngstown State’s defense.

Last season, the Penguins ranked near the bottom of the FCS in yards allowed per play, rushing defense and scoring defense, as all of those struggles played a significant role in YSU succumbing to a 4-8 record in 2024.

“I think execution was definitely a big part,” senior defensive end Mike Voitus said of the unit’s struggles last year. “Some guys just not doing their job to the best of our ability, including myself. There were a couple plays last year where I didn’t do my job, where I got out of a gap and it hits for a big play. So I mean it’s just trying to get it consistent and making it consistently good instead of occasionally great. Because if you’re occasionally great, you could get beat on some things, whereas if you’re consistently good, nobody’s getting through you.”

But this fall, the Penguins feel like they’ve found some answers on defense, as they look to bounce back on that side of the ball in 2025.

“I really like what I’ve seen,” head coach Doug Phillips said. “It’s a combination of some experienced guys…to the young guys. It’s a combination of all that, and I think you’ll see more of a multiple-type defense. I think we’ve got some length, I think we’ve got some athleticism. Now it’s our job to put those young men in the right position to be successful.”

Throughout the spring, YSU focused on getting back to fundamentals, which included its “four pillars” of ball pursuit, beating blockers, tackling and ball disruption.

After that, the Penguins came out of spring ball with a positive outlook, which has since carried into fall camp.

In YSU’s second and final intrasquad scrimmage of camp on Saturday, the defense dominated the offense, recording three interceptions, including one for a touchdown, and a handful of stops and negative-yardage plays.

“When I see those four (pillars) coming to life and by doing those things, I’m seeing those guys build that trust and relationship on the field,” defensive coordinator John Haneline said. “In our last scrimmage, which is our last kind of dress rehearsal out there, I’m seeing all four of those things really come together. I’m seeing those guys fly around, celebrate and have fun.

“I read something this offseason that was really powerful to me. ‘Do you want to teach them plays? Or do you want to teach them how to play?’ Everything we’ve done, I’ve tried to do that.”

A big reason for YSU’s optimism is the experience that the Penguins have returning on defense, which it didn’t have going into last year.

“In the college football landscape, all these things have changed,” Haneline said. “So it’s hard to find that continuity and for our guys, that comes from Coach Phillips with the culture and what he’s built in that locker room. The year before, yeah, a lot of guys leaving. But this year those guys are coming back for something bigger than them. We’re all attacking something bigger than us at the end of the day.

“They put on that Y and they represent Youngstown and they really take that to heart. For me as a coach, that makes life a heck of a lot easier. You can grow and you can develop, not just the relationships off the field and all those things like trust, but on the field.”

At linebacker, Carston Marshall, Mike Wells and Preston Zandier are back and are each expected to fill key roles for that unit.

Then in the secondary, Makai Shahid, Isaiah Hackett, Jeremiah Robinson, Jordan Rudolph and DJ Harris, who was named to the MVFC All-Newcomer team, all return with another year of experience under their belts. YSU also added a pair of senior transfers at defensive back in Dayne Hodge (Tulsa) and Jeremiah Piper (Western Illinois).

“Having those guys is absolutely huge,” Haneline said. “For them, they get to self reflect — ‘I wasn’t proud of what I did maybe last year’ and that wasn’t the standard we want. They get to get out here in the sun and they get an opportunity to go take advantage of those moments and those new opportunities and put out the product they want.”

Finally up front, Voitus, Ebony Curry Jr. and Joe Brown are also all back after playing meaningful snaps last season.

But in the past, YSU has emphasized its ability to stop the opposing run game, while also getting into the backfield to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

Since that was something the Penguins had difficulty with last year, YSU looked to the transfer portal to help its returning defensive linemen and shore up its depth up front.

This offseason, the Penguins brought in four key transfers on the defensive line, including seniors Collin Vaughn (Utah State), Parker Jacobs (Robert Morris) and Thomas Jolly (Grand Valley State) and junior Cameron Cunningham (Saginaw Valley State), each of whom Haneline expects to be a part of YSU’s rotation along the line.

“When you talk about standards and stuff, when you bring in some of these older guys, it’s easy for them to adopt it right away,” Haneline said.

“The biggest thing I think that I’ve seen in the last two weeks is those guys develop a trust in what they’re supposed to do and where they’re supposed to be with each other.”