Headed into the 2023 season one of the major strengths of the Penn State football team is depth at most positions. One of the deepest position groups for the Nittany Lions this fall is the defensive line, especially the defensive end unit. The headliner for the group is potential 2024 first-round NFL Draft pick Chop Robinson with veteran Adisa Isaac likely starting on the opposite side of him. But coming off the bench in a reserved role in 2023 is former five-star recruit Dani Dennis-Sutton who is primed for a big sophomore season.
Rising Penn State star says he’s ready to ‘wake up’ his doubters
During the offseason, there is so much chatter and different media outlets that create hype surrounding specific players in college football. Those lists and that chatter does not go unnoticed around the country. In fact, it’s clear that Penn State defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton feels ‘slept on’ based on what he shared on social media earlier this week.
This is a player that has yet to make his first career start at the FBS level but that hasn’t stopped him from exploding onto the scene in 2022. Last season, he accounted for 17 tackles, 3 sacks, 3.5 tackles for loss, and 1 interception. To be able to have that kind of production coming off the bench in your true freshman season shows how much potential DDS brings to the table. With how defensive coordinator Manny Diaz rotates players in on defense it will be great to see how much Dennis-Sutton has improved between the Rose Bowl and season-opener against West Virginia.
Big Test for Deion Barnes in 2022
Defensive line coach Deion Barnes takes over in this role in a favorable position, as the defensive line should be a strength on the 2023 Penn State football team. But, he will still need to prepare and coach up his players when adversity strikes this season. With as talented as the room is this season, one could argue that there is a lot of pressure on Barnes to help deliver from a statistical and growth standpoint on the field in 2023.
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