Correspondent file photo / Robert Hayes Youngstown State senior linebacker Mike Wells (3) looks to get into the backfield while being blocked by senior tight end Austin Bray during the Penguins’ spring practice on March 21 at Stambaugh Stadium.

YOUNGSTOWN — Mike Wells made a living in opposing backfields last season.

The Youngstown State linebacker terrorized quarterbacks and running backs alike across the Missouri Valley Football Conference. He developed a knack for getting to the ball, which more often than not, led to either a sack, tackle-for-loss, QB hurry, pass breakup or forced fumble.

Wells’ breakout campaign in 2025 was one of the bright spots for a Penguins defense that had its share of ups and downs throughout the season.

He finished with 50 total tackles and led the MVFC in sacks (10.5) and tackles for loss (15.5) for most of the fall. He also had 11 QB hurries, four pass breakups, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles. Those numbers earned him First-Team All-MVFC honors, as well as FCS All-American honors from the Associated Press, Sports Illustrated, Stats Perform and Phil Steele.

“He has the size, he has the strength and he has the speed. We knew that when he was in high school,” YSU head coach Doug Phillips said. “Just to see him put it all together, that’s what you work for as a coach. You want to see a young man having success on the field. That’s what you imagined when he was 18 years old. To see that, it makes all of us proud.

“He’s gotta continue to work. We can all get better. I tell them, there’s growth everyday that you can improve upon to come ready for the fall to be able to dominate opponents.”

Coming off a junior season with those numbers and accolades, other players might’ve tested their luck in the transfer portal to see if they could play at the Power 4 level or garner more NIL money elsewhere.

But not Wells.

He believes in the team’s growth and in what the Penguins have built in recent years. So with YSU set to retain a considerable number of key contributors from last year’s team, he decided to stick around for his senior season.

“It’s really important that we kept the guys that we needed to. I think that goes to show our brotherhood,” Wells said. “Me, Des [Leigh] and Beau [Brungard] all came in together, so we’re all pretty close. We value each other’s time, and we value each other’s efforts. So it would have been a waste if we didn’t all stick together. I wasn’t raised to care about money. That’s really the reason people transfer nowadays. If you want to go to the NFL from Youngstown, you can if you’re good enough.”

For the New Castle, Pa. native, staying close to home was important as well.

“Another thing was just being able to hug my mom after the game,” Wells said. “I’m 35 minutes away from home, and getting that hug after the game, there’s nothing like it, man. So I chose to stay here and play for my family and play for the people that love me.”

This spring has been a learning experience for Wells and the rest of the Penguins’ defense, as they work to learn, install and rep new defensive coordinator Ryan Riemedio’s scheme, which comes with new terminology, communications, play calls, checks, reads and sets.

“I played the same type of defense my previous four years, so it’s just a lot different, especially schematically,” Wells said at the start of spring. “Players are doing a lot of different things, a lot of different communication and different verbiage too.”

The Penguins want to be more “multiple” in Riemedio’s defense, which includes playing with both three- and four-down linemen, disguising blitzes and mixing up coverages.

With 11 practices under its belt and four practices left this spring before the annual Red-White Game on April 18, YSU has made progress with learning the scheme, while also adjusting to Riemedio’s expectations for what he wants to see from the defense.

“I think guys are responding well. He came in here and had his expectations and standards, and we’re building those,” Wells said Tuesday. “We know that he’s not going to change. He’s not going to soften up for us. He’s really been holding his standards high these past couple days and he lets us know everyday that we have a standard.”

Last year, Wells played as more of an edge rusher on the defensive line where he was constantly trying to get into the backfield.

Thus far, Wells said he’s been playing more outside linebacker in Riemedio’s defense. That will give him greater flexibility to move around the field and do a variety of things within the unit.

“At first, I was like, I don’t know if I want to move away from this, but I think it’s a great thing,” Wells said. “It’ll provide a lot more production for our defensive line because if an offensive line sees me three yards off the edge, they’re probably going to kick out to me. It’s just exciting because I can move around and do a lot more things. It just makes our defense a lot more multiple.

“Last year, I figured I was going to rush a lot. This year, I feel like you won’t really know, and neither will I, until we actually get into the flow of things.”