Jaquan Brisker, safety (6-1, 199)
Brisker played in 34 games with 21 starts over the past three seasons at Penn State, registering 152 tackles, 7.0 tackles-for-loss, five interceptions and 19 pass breakups. Last season he was named first-team All-Big Ten and second-team All-American after playing in 12 games and generating 63 tackles, 3.0 tackles-for-loss, two interceptions and seven pass breakups.
Poles described Brisker as “a starting-caliber safety whose makeup is incredible, tough.”
“Really everything that you’ve heard myself and [coach] Matt [Eberflus] talk about the last few months, he has that in him,” Poles said. “And I think he’s going to make our secondary better as well. The cool thing about him, one of those attributes you look for in players is, ‘Can you make big plays in big moments?’ And he showed that over and over in his career, so we’re excited about him.
“I was looking through our scout stuff and one of the guys used the term ‘Super Bowl-over-accolade’ type. He’s all about team. He wants to win and he wants to be on a championship-caliber team, which again, that’s what we’re doing.”
One example of Brisker producing an impact play in a clutch moment came in last year’s season opener when he thwarted a Wisconsin drive deep in Penn State territory with a fourth-quarter interception to preserve a 16-10 win.
“They’re in the red zone and there was a pass,” Poles said. “If they score, they’re going to win and he undercuts it, picks it off.”
Velus Jones Jr., receiver (6-0, 200)
Jones appeared in 61 games with 21 starts over six seasons at USC (2016-19) and Tennessee (2020-21), catching 120 passes for 1,434 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also averaged 24.4 yards with two touchdowns on 122 kickoff returns and 15.1 yards on 18 punt returns.
Jones enjoyed a breakout 2021 campaign, more than doubling his career totals with 62 receptions for 807 yards and seven touchdowns. In addition, he was named the SEC Co-Special teams Player of the Year after averaging 27.3 yards…