New Penn State defensive ends Dani Dennis-Sutton, Chop Robinson making a mark
Penn State’s defensive line is both familiar and new ahead of the 2022 season. But through the first two weeks of camp, safety Tig Brown has noticed something different.
“They’re playing way faster,” Brown told reporters this week. “Spring was more learning the playbook, trying to figure it out. Now in fall camp, guys know the playbook from the spring.
“They are getting faster around the ball, they’re moving better within their techniques. You see the guys firing off the ball and doing stuff that you would do when you know a playbook in and out.”
Penn State defensive line progress
A look at the group’s makeup serves as an easy explainer to that point. And, maybe more important, the introduction of new defensive coordinator Manny Diaz hammers it home.
A spring splash, true freshman Zane Durant went through the same learning process as his more experienced counterparts at defensive tackle. Meanwhile, still held out due to a season-ending injury the prior fall, P.J. Mustipher’s grasp was limited to sideline views and meeting room instruction.
And at defensive end, Adisa Isaac, Smith Vilbert, and Nick Tarburton had their first spring of learning under Diaz. But with the influx of two talented new pieces to the room, transfer Chop Robinson and a true freshman, Dani Dennis-Sutton, have also upended the equation at the position from just four months ago.
With a combination of need at the spot and individual ability, Dennis-Sutton has garnered positive reviews from Penn State’s coaching staff. Tempered slightly by his June arrival, though, the process of getting the 6-foot-5, 254-pound end prepared for game action is still very much in progress.
“He’s just so much more physically prepared than most guys. He benches 400 pounds, is 255 pounds, physical,” head coach James Franklin said. “He wasn’t able to be here in the spring. And he wasn’t able to get here early in the summer as well. So he’s playing a little catch-up right now.
“But there’s excitement for him. Whether it’s game one or game four, we’ll see. But I think he’s trending in the right direction. And this summer we’ve been talking a lot about how he could factor in for us.”
Next steps
If Brown’s early impressions of the newcomers can carry over to the field, that sentiment is likely to come to fruition sooner rather than later.
Though still in their first weeks of formal practices with the Penn State football program, the impact has been enough for Brown to predict real contributions in the immediate future.
“I can’t believe that it’s their first week,” Brown said. “These guys have been playing great. Especially Dani, coming in young, he was so physically ready. If you see him right now, he looks like he’s supposed to be on an NFL roster already. He jumped out to me once he came in that ready and that prepared. He’s also another guy who’s learning the playbook (fast). He is super coachable.
“Chop Robinson as well. Chop is a great player. He’s always been a great player. He’s come in, he’s bought into this role, he’s helping us out on this D-line.”
