Penn State's Jim Knowles Spotlights the Freshmen Who Made Him Take Notice

Defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton considers Chaz Coleman a younger brother and has been guiding the freshman through the start of his Penn State football journey. Coleman earned the green light to play before the season and immediately made an impact. 

Last month, Knowles nicknamed Coleman the “Chaz-manian Devil” because of his athleticism and how he chases the ball. The defensive end, who played quarterback and basketball in high school more than his current position, is tied for third on the team with three tackles for loss, has made one sack and recovered his own forced fumble.  

“He’s jumped off the screen from the time I first got to be around him,” Knowles said. “He’s just a really disruptive guy.”

In Week 2 vs. FIU, Coleman earned a 96.8 pass-rush grade from Pro Football Focus. But as Penn State enters the Big Ten schedule, Coleman will be tested more significantly in the run game. “I think he can pass-rush against anybody,” Knowles said. “His development will have to come against a team that really tries to run the ball.”

Coleman is quick off the line and works around linemen with a spin move that he perfected on the basketball court at Warren G. Harding High in Ohio. Since Penn State had early depth questions at defensive end, Coleman has settled into the rotation nicely, having played 71 snaps through three games. 

Daryus Dixson shines at a deep position

Penn State coach James Franklin joined Knowles in highlighting the freshman cornerback throughout training camp, saying he had a chance to break through at a deep position group. Dixson has been on campus since January as an early enrollee, which gave him ample time to acclimate and learn Knowles’ system. 

Penn State’s cornerback room has veteran depth with AJ Harris, Zion Tracy, Elliot Washington II and Audavion Collins playing at high levels. Dixson might be one of the young guys in the group, but Knowles has been impressed with how he has played. 

“For a true freshman to be able to do what he’s done in practice and compete in the game, I think he’s at the top end of the curve of guys that I’ve been around,” said Knowles, in his 38th year as a football coach. 

Dixson, who has made five tackles, is improving through experience, and Knowles called him extremely “studious.” He’ll have a bigger challenge when Oregon visits Penn State on Sept. 27, but these first few games helped Dixson, from California's Mater Dei High, create a foundation for the rest of the season. 

Alex Tatsch earning a role at linebacker

During training camp, Knowles said he was looking for a fourth linebacker to join the rotation. Freshman Alex Tatsch has worked his way into the conversation. 

“We’re trying to bring Tatsch into the mix,” Knowles said. “He’s a true freshman so that’s difficult, but we think he has the skills to do it.”

The Greater Latrobe graduate made his 2025 debut against Villanova, playing 21 snaps and making a tackle for loss. Fellow linebackers Tony Rojas and Amare Campbell combined for five tackles for loss and three sacks the same day. Communication seems smoother with Campbell and Dom DeLuca having in-helmet contact with Knowles, which contributed to their performance.

“We saw enough things in [Tatsch] that showed the skill level to possibly be able to contribute this year as a freshman,” Knowles said. “So we thought it was worth the investment to start getting him meaningful practice snaps, meaningful game reps, because he showed those skills. You really have to choose who you’re going to invest those reps in, and we saw enough of him doing really, really good things on the practice squad and other situations to think it was worth the investment.”

Penn State has played four other freshmen on defense: defensive ends Yvan Kemajou and Cortez Harris, cornerback Jahmir Joseph and defensive tackle Randy Adirika. Against Villanova, Joseph had Penn State’s first pick-six of the season when he intercepted a pass near midfield, dodging defenders for a 49-yard touchdown. 

Penn State’s young talent is providing Knowles with more options. He defeated Oregon on the second go-around with Ohio State in the 2024 College Football Playoff, and now he’ll try to do it again at Penn State.