Let’s shift our focus to Penn State Football’s defense in 2024, which has more moving parts, more questions and more opportunities to go around for young Nittany Lions.

Here’s a look at three players with a chance to do the most with the jump in playing time.

Penn State Football Breakout Stars to Watch on Defense

So. LB Tony Rojas

The transformation in linebacker Tony Rojas is stark, from the time he stepped on campus as a 205-pound recruit to now as a full-size, 239-pound sophomore linebacker.

Rojas is talented, fast, and aggressive, capable of making splash plays horizontally or behind the line of scrimmage. And now, he’s ticketed for a starting role, and, quite likely, to make a steady flow of impact plays.

Rojas’ rise helps to offset the underrated impact that Curtis Jacobs made on Penn State’s defense for four seasons with a similar skillset and a *hint* of aggression.

Growing pains could be in the cards as Rojas continues to learn how to harness that explosive ability, but the upside exponentially outweighs the downside. He could be a star from the jump.

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Jr. DT Zane Durant

Zane Durant has been a steady presence in Penn State’s defensive tackle rotation with strength that was recognized by The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman on his annual Freaks List.

Durant played in all 13 of the team’s games each of his first two seasons on campus and saw a much bigger role in Year 2, when he compiled 17 tackles, 5.5 TFLs and two sacks while making 12 starts.

Now, the task is to translate that physicality and violent style into next-level production, which would constitute a breakout of major proportions for defensive line coach John Scott Jr. Penn State has experienced bodies in the interior and runs deep with talent, but Durant has the best two-way capability defending the run and pressuring the quarterback.

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Jr. DE Dani Dennis-Sutton

The former five-star said it himself: He expects to be the best defensive end in the country this season.

DDS has certainly flashed those capabilities as a reserve behind impressive Penn State veterans Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac for the past two seasons.

Dennis-Sutton has pedigree and reputation already, but the true breakout is to take those flashes of brilliance and apply them over a larger volume of snaps. If he can make that leap — and odds are, he will — Penn State Football might just have an upgrade on its hands with DDS and Abdul Carter giving that reckless, relentless energy off the edge.

They’re both special athletes with a nose for making turnover-worthy plays.

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Darkhorse: So. CB Elliot Washington

Penn State made major moves in the transfer portal, which puts Washington in a bit of a precarious position as the team’s No. 4 corner at best behind Cam Miller and transfers A.J. Harris (Georgia) and Jalen Kimber (Florida).

The former four-star was good enough to stand out as a freshman last season and burn his redshirt, making him among the highest-upside reserve cornerbacks in the Big Ten. That’s a luxury at a position that is undergoing great change following the departures of Kalen King and Johnny Dixon.

Washington might not be top of rotation early in the ’24 season, but he should see the field plenty and be challenged to step into a bigger role should injuries force James Franklin’s hand.

MORE: Breakout Stars for Penn State on Offense in 2024

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