As Super Bowl LVIII draws closer, football fans across the world are contemplating who they should be rooting for. Those who do not care for either team may be looking at individual players or perhaps the best story to decide their pick. It may be easiest for college football fans to root for the team with players from your favorite school, if they happen to have any.
For Penn State fans, however, that could cause a split. The Nittany Lions have three players representing them in the big game. Representing the reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs is starting tackle [autotag]Donovan Smith[/autotag], and for the San Francisco 49ers safety [autotag]Ji’Ayir Brown[/autotag] and defensive lineman [autotag]Kevin Givens[/autotag] are big pieces on defense. Brown in particular has stepped up as a starter for the 49ers after an injury to All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga,
All three of Penn State’s representatives have a chance of making a big impact on the outcome of the game, but none more than Donovan Smith. Smith had been a rock at left tackle for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for nearly a decade before signing with the Chiefs in 2023. He is no longer the above-average starter he once was, so how well he can hold up against the 49ers pass rush will be a huge part of the game.
Brown and Givens will have their own challenges dealing with the Kansas City offense. Brown has always been more of a tough, gritty box safety as opposed to a rangy cover player. The Chiefs could look to attack him through the air with their assortment of tight ends and running backs. Givens meanwhile will try and provide quality snaps against a very strong interior offensive line. Neither of them has the responsibility that Smith does, but they could still play deciding roles in the biggest game of their lives.
Either way, the number of Super Bowl rings earned by the Nittany Lions will get even higher, and that’s something to be proud of.