Penn State Football: PSU Defense in Peril After CB Derrick Thomas Leaves Team

Friday afternoon is for bad news, and Penn State had some bad news for its program this Friday. Per the Penn State site FightOnState.com, cornerback Derrick Thomas has left the team. Here's the official word from the site's Twitter account:

"

CB Derrick Thomas leaves #PennState for "personal reasons" according to Bill O'Brien. #SecondaryPrimaryConcern

— FightOnState.com (@FightOnState) June 29, 2012"

Thomas is a fourth-year junior who was listed by Penn State (.PDF link) as a co-starter at right cornerback with sophomore Adrian Amos.

This development is another tough break for a Penn State secondary that was glaringly thin even coming into the spring. Per Philly.com, Curtis Drake left the team over the spring after struggling with grades and also sorta kinda punching out the starting quarterback before the TicketCity.com Bowl and giving him a concussion. Still, he had figured to eventually be in the mix at cornerback.

If Bill O'Brien had a feeling this move was coming from Thomas back when he put together the post-spring depth chart back in early June, it would certainly explain why Thomas and Amos were both starters at right cornerback. Amos played corner last year, but his natural position is safety and he practiced at that position extensively over the spring.

Unfortunately, Amos' move back to safety is probably no longer an option now, especially with little-used Jesse Della Valle operating as the first backup behind starting left corner Stephon Morris. Morris is experienced and athletic; he's not a problem. It's just that if Amos isn't at the other corner spot, Penn State's in a world of hurt.

Of course, the situation at safety isn't a lot better, considering the two starters are former walk-on Jake Fagnano at strong safety and first-year starter Malcolm Willis at free safety (where one would have otherwise expected to see Amos).

All in all, the depth situation in the secondary is almost as dire as Michigan's was coming into 2010—if Morris were to be lost for the season, we'd be on the same page. Yeah, that's pretty much all it would take.

Penn State kicks off its season against Ohio on September 1.