How good was Penn State's defensive line last season? Well, all three starters who graduated will be playing on Sundays this upcoming NFL season.

How good is Penn State's defensive line this season? It is a little too early to tell.

Just like at a few other positions, the Nittany Lions will need to develop players from a pool of youth and inexperience in order to fill the big holes created by players leaving after their final year of eligibility. The prospects for the defensive line may be young, and they may not have played much, but there is no lack of talent. The potential is there, and the Lions are optimistic.

"It's going to be real hard to replace guys like that, especially guys who taught us responsibility, not so much on the field, but definitely off the field," sophomore defensive end Lavon Chisley said. "We got to pick up a lot that we lost, but I think we can do it. I think we're definitely on schedule, we had a great spring. Nobody really has that much game experience, it's just things you're going to pick up as you go."

Chisley, who redshirted his freshman year, is one of the most experienced of the defensive corps. While he never started last year, he did see a decent amount of playing time, seeing action in all 13 games and averaging about one tackle per game. Ironically, the nickname Chisley's teammates gave him is "The Future." He has a tattoo on the inside of his right arm with that word to remind him of what lies ahead this year.

"We got four or five kids, they're not quite strong enough yet," Penn State football coach Joe Paterno said. "I think we're in the position where our down guys eventually are going to be really good. They're not good now. They're getting killed because they're too high, but they all have good ability, size and potential. I like those kids, and they all work hard."

Paterno mentioned that he was happy with the progression of Tamba Hali, Ed Johnson and Jay Alford through spring practice. All three were freshmen last year, and all are slated to have a shot at the defensive tackle position.

"We've been coming along real good," Johnson said. "We've just been trying to take it one day at a time. A lot us haven't really played or played little, so now we're trying to correct the little mistakes as we go along, and make the best of it. On the defensive line, the team chemistry has been great. We hang out a lot together off the field and we stick together on the field, so we try to improve ourselves but we also try to help each other out."

One step the coaching staff has taken to address the holes in the defensive line has been to move senior Sam Ruhe back to defensive end. Last year, Ruhe was put in the middle linebacker spot, but a nagging neck injury kept him out of action for the entire season. Now that Ruhe is back in the position he was recruited at out of high school, he said he feels he can make contributions to help develop the younger players.

"It's just a more natural position for me," Ruhe said. "I think there's less variables at defensive ends. You can be more comfortable there faster and it is a position I've played all my life."

Movement from position to position has been commonplace during this spring. Freshman Pat Hall, who was recruited as a linebacker, shifted spots to defensive end. Yet another freshman, Levi Brown, has played defensive tackle all spring, but may be switched to the other side of the ball. Brown, who is listed at 6-foot-5, 312 pounds, is built just like departed Nittany Lion and newly drafted St. Louis Ram Jimmy Kennedy.

"Levi Brown needs to play lower and get in better shape," Paterno said. "I'm not totally sure he's on the right side of the ball. Levi Brown won't want to hear that. He'll be in my office at 8 a.m. on Monday morning. Me and [defensive line coach] Larry [Johnson Sr.] differ. He thinks he should play defense."