Their names are close, and so are these Penn State tackles

Curtis Cothran and Parker Cothren became friends almost immediately upon their arrival at Penn State five years ago to play football, and they shared a dream to start together on the defensive line of the Nittany Lions.

That happened for the first time last season, and it was a memorable game on multiple levels. The two lined up side by side at defensive tackle in the Beaver Stadium "White Out," on a night that resulted in the Lions' 24-21 upset of then-No. 2 Ohio State.

The 6-foot-5, 301-pound Cothran, a Council Rock North High School graduate, and the 6-4, 304-pound Cothren, of Huntsville, Ala., have manned the interior of the defensive line ever since and have played solid football for the second-ranked Nittany Lions, who head to No. 6 Ohio State for their annual showdown on Saturday.

While their last names aren't spelled quite the same, they are like brothers.

"Our friendship runs deep," said Cothran, who came to Penn State as a defensive end before moving to tackle in the spring of 2016. "Our families are friends, and our parents are friends. It's actually funny, because his dad and my dad, their first names are Greg, so they're both Greg Cothran [Cothren].

"Me and Parker have always been great friends, ever since we got up on campus. Even though he may be from Alabama and I might be from Pa., it made no difference. It definitely helped us, especially when it came to playing. Just knowing that you've got your best friend right next to you is definitely one of the most fun parts about playing."

Cothren said Cothran was the first friend he made when he arrived on campus. He said the mutual goal early on was for both to become starters.

"We always figured it would be with me inside and him at the end," he said. "But since they moved him inside, it's even better, right in the middle holding down the run. That's awesome. It's great being in there beside him."

Defensive coordinator Brent Pry said the pair have developed into "complete tackles."

"Curtis was a guy that had the athleticism and the talent, but hanging in there on the double teams and playing against the bigger guys, that's where he struggled," Pry said. "He's improved there. He's gotten bigger and stronger. He's playing with better leverage.

"Parker's game has improved. He's playing with more athleticism. He's an athletic guy. He can slam dunk a basketball, do a lot of things. But he wasn't playing that way, I felt. The way the season started, he's making more plays. He's getting off blocks. He's hard to knock off the ball; you don't see that happen."

Both men received degrees in August – Cothran in criminology and Cothren in recreation, parks, and tourism management. They have played important roles on a defense that leads the nation in fewest points allowed at 9.6 per game, and they will need to do the same against Ohio State's potent offense.

"They're a great O-line," Cothran said. "Last year, they had a lot of young guys on the line, and they're a little more experienced. It's definitely going to be a great challenge."

If Penn State continues on its winning run, people might stop confusing the two linemen.

"I remember a couple of times, people walked up to me and are like, 'Oh, you're from Huntsville, Alabama, we've heard about you,' " Cothran said. "And I'm like, 'No, that's the other Cothren, appreciate the attempt."

"Everyone always jokes about us because everywhere we go, we're usually beside each other," Cothren said. "They'll say, 'Hey, the Cothren brothers are here.' "

Just as they dreamed.