UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Chris Colasanti was one of only two true freshmen to see playing time for Penn State in 2007.

And everything seemed to be set up for him to be a starting linebacker for the Nittany Lions the following season.

But Colasanti, a two-time all-state player from Michigan, lost out to former walk-on Josh Hull, who went on to become a two-year starter and a seventh-round pick of the St. Louis Rams in the NFL draft in April.

With Hull gone, Colasanti has one last chance to show what he can do in his senior season.

His career totals -- 37 tackles, one tackle for loss and one sack -- are not exactly what the man in the middle had in mind when he arrived at Penn State.

"I wouldn't say [my career] has been disappointing, but this all of a sudden is my last year and I'm like, 'Wow, where did it all go so fast?' " Colasanti said. "I've been waiting three years for this opportunity and I'm ready to take advantage of it."

The coaching staff had planned to redshirt Colasanti last season as a junior, but that plan went awry when linebackers Michael Mauti, Sean Lee and NaVorro Bowman suffered injuries.

"It is somewhat frustrating that I didn't redshirt, because I wanted to have two years left as a starter," Colasanti said. "But God really had another plan for me and I can't question that."

Colasanti, 6 feet 2 and 241 pounds, produced 18 tackles last season while playing defense and special teams. He was on the field for 196 snaps, including 28 against Ohio State and 26 against Michigan.

But Colasanti's last shining moment on the field came in 2005, when he helped lead Brother Rice High School to a Michigan Class 2 state championship.

He chose Penn State over Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Iowa and UCLA.

"I feel very bad for Chris, because there really wasn't much difference between he and Josh Hull," said linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden, who recruited Colasanti. "I wish I had played Chris more last season.

"He's a good player. He's a tough kid. I think he's going to have a real good year for us."

Vanderlinden said Colasanti reminds him a little of former Penn State linebackers Paul Posluszny (Hopewell High School) and Lee (Upper St. Clair).

"Chris has the same intangibles those two guys had," Vanderlinden said. "He has really good instincts in getting to the football and always has. As he's gotten more comfortable in the system, he's put it all together in the preseason."

Backup middle linebacker Mike Yancich, a redshirt sophomore from Trinity High School, has been pushing Colasanti for playing time since spring.

Yancich (6-2, 236) was a high school All-American and first-team Class AAA all-state linebacker as a senior. In his first season on the field last year at Penn State, he played in 10 games, contributing mostly on the punt and kickoff return teams.

Much more is expected of Yancich this season.

"I played last year on the special teams and the feeling of being out there in Beaver Stadium is just surreal," he said. "But to actually have a chance to contribute at linebacker this year makes it even more exciting."

Vanderlinden has been pleased with Yancich's progress.

"He really stepped up this spring and he has again this fall," Vanderlinden said. "I think he's going to be a good player here before he leaves."

All three starting linebackers from last season are gone -- Lee, Bowman and Hull were all drafted by NFL teams -- but Vanderlinden is happy with his depth and rotation.

At outside linebacker, Penn State has four players competing for two starting spots. They include sophomore Gerald Hodges, a former safety; fifth-year senior Bani Gbadyu, who has made eight career starts; redshirt junior Nathan Stupar, who started two games last season when Bowman was hurt; and redshirt sophomore Mauti, who sat out last year with an ACL injury.

"Our linebacking corps is going to be stronger than people think," said Colasanti, who had a 3.58 grade-point average through the spring semester in his kinesiology studies, which includes a pre-med option. "We have some really good players, some really smart players. And we're all ready to go, mentally and physically."

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