In-helmet communication aids Penn State's offense but creates struggles defensively

Joel Haas / For the Post-Gazette

Conference realignment, an expanded College Football Playoff and new NIL and transfer portal rules have created a lasting impact on the sport, but in-helmet communication is an overlooked aspect being introduced this season.

Through two contests, Penn State has found success implementing the new technology offensively, but it’s also created issues for the defensive unit.

“Offensively, it's being able to not have to signal at all, and be able to talk to the quarterback and tell them the play and then also maybe a few little coaching points,” head coach James Franklin said. “Defensively, how do you get both corners the information at 53 yards away from each other?”

The Nittany Lions — who have one of the most explosive offenses in the country through two weeks, a complete reversal of last year’s struggles — have been able to take advantage of the opportunity with the ball.

Quarterback Drew Allar, who wears a green dot sticker on the back of his helmet to indicate his sideline communication capability, spoke about the advantages of the technology, something he has previous experience with.

“I love it, for sure. I used it in high school all the time. It was a part of my high school's team all four years I was there, so I was really used to it throughout high school,” Allar said. “And I think through that experience, I was able to kind of craft how I did it on the sideline, routine-wise.”

Allar said he uses the helmet to check with the sidelines about the defensive alignment and what he’s seeing and get confirmation from either offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki or quarterbacks coach Danny O’Brien.

The three watch film throughout the week to get an idea of what to expect during the game, but if anything looks off pre-snap or post-snap, Allar can communicate what he’s seeing to the sidelines.

As much as it benefits the offense, the defense can run into roadblocks. Part of the struggles against Bowling Green were attributed to the team’s inability to communicate effectively.

“It's created some challenges that we've had to work through in the first couple weeks, specifically on the defensive side of the ball,” Franklin said.

The Mike linebacker is typically responsible for relaying information to the defensive line, but with in-helmet communication, he will also be passing along calls to the defensive backs, adding an extra element and increasing the potential for things to go wrong.

Kobe King has mainly been taking on that responsibility, though Tyler Elsdon has also used the technology when King isn’t on the field.

“It definitely has a learning curve, and you can only do so much at practice. It's like a controlled environment,” Elsdon said. “So we had some challenges in Game 1, Game 2, but it's one of those things that we're going to continue to use and continue to develop.”

An additional issue that’s emerged is crowd noise. Typically, the home crowd is louder on defense, attempting to disrupt the opposing offense by making it hard for the quarterback to call plays and difficult for the center to hear the cadence.

Penn State is known for having one of the loudest environments in college football, but that noise now impacts the defense, as well. It can help cause false starts, delay of game penalties and, famously, force opponents to take timeouts, but it can also hurt the Nittany Lions’ defenders.

“It's just tough because of the crowd noise when we’re on the field, that's when the crowd's loud,” cornerback Cam Miller said. “We just get back to the fundamentals.”

Penn State is keeping an open mind about how it approaches the situation, willing to adapt to new strategies on a weekly basis. The current operation isn’t perfect, but the team realizes its advantages and is honing its strategy through trial and error.

“We feel confident, if we need it, when we use it,” Elsdon said. “I think it's an effective tool. I think it can make a huge difference if a team uses it the right way, and that's what we're working toward. And like I said, I feel very confident we have a plan in place, and all the guys are getting used to it.”