Joe Paterno can't put his finger on it, but he knows there's something inside Tyrell Sales.

It's something the 81-year-old coach hasn't yet seen in its entirety. Paterno's had glimpses over the past four years, and hopes this season -- Sales' last one -- the linebacker will reveal that 'it' factor.

Sales played well last season, albeit in the shadows of Dan Connor and Sean Lee who were last year's top two tacklers on the team. Sales recorded 50 stops, good for sixth most.

"He's got a -- I don't know," Paterno said earlier this month. "Tyrell? Everybody's got a personality of their own, and sometimes people just wait for an opportunity to step to the front."

Now, in the wake of Connor's graduation and co-captain Lee's season-ending injury, Sales, the only remaining starter from last year's snarling bunch has a big opportunity to establish himself as the next feared in a long line of Nittany Lion linebackers.

First, however, he must become a leader -- that's what his teammates, Paterno and linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden want to see the most.

"We need someone to step up and assume that leadership role and then to also have his best year of football," Vanderlinden said earlier this month. "That's what we're hopeful Ty will do."

Sales will join junior middle linebacker Josh Hull, who is replacing Lee and sophomore Bani Gbadyu. Both Hull and Gbadyu played in every game last year, but only made a combined 24 tackles.

It's a new role for Sales, being the guy with the most experience, but it's one he's been preparing for four seasons now, he said Thursday.

"Before anything happened with Sean, I was definitely looking at this season as one where as a fifth-year senior I'm going to have to step up a little bit, speak up a little bit, take on more of a leadership role," Sales said.

During Penn State's media day earlier this month, Sales led teammates around with a video camera, documenting the day's events. He led his peers in jokes and displayed his ability to be the center of attention. All spring and summer, he's done that on the field, too.

While Sales insists he leads by example -- a trait he learned from Connor, Lee and Paul Posluszny -- safety Mark Rubin has seen younger Nittany Lions playing shadow to Sales' work ethic. He's seen Sales assert himself when he needs to, or when he doesn't.

"It's great. [Tyrell] definitely knows when to get intense and when to get in your face and when to just let you go," Rubin said. "Some guys react better to in-your-face, rah-rah-rah type leaders.

"Some guys put a lot of pressure on themselves already and when they mess up they know it and they really just need to be left alone, talk to their coach and make the adjustments that they need. Ty has definitely been doing a great job being able to interact and help depending on what type of leadership [someone else] needs."

While Sales has been working to be more vocal with his teammates, those close to him can't deny his potential to be a game-changer from the outside position. You don't have to go back too far to find proof.

In the second quarter of the Alamo Bowl with his team down by a touchdown, Sales, on a blitz, sacked Texas A&M quarterback Stephen McGee deep in Aggie territory.

After an A&M fumble on the next play, Penn State quarterback Daryll Clark used the short field to run for the touchdown that tied the score. Penn State would not relinquish the lead for the rest of the game.

"[Tyrell's] been around for a while," Rubin said. "He's seen just about everything that an offense can throw at you so he's able to use that experience to make plays to the best of his ability."

Still, Paterno has only seen flashes. The biggest question he would ask would be are the linebackers ready? Can they succeed like the highly touted corps of the past?

Sales already knows the answer and he's speaking for his defense.

"We have some swagger," Sales said. "We've got some confidence and we're all eager to get out there and play. I think we're playing good football, but you can always get better, gelling has a unit, communicating a little bit more. Those are things that are going to come with a little bit more game experience.

"Those are things that are going to improve as the season goes on, and I think we're going to make those improvements and we should be clicking on all cylinders pretty soon."