Penn State Football defensive coordinator Tom Allen is excited.
Most teams would be rebuilding after losing two two top Ends, but Penn State Football is in a very good place after losing Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac to the NFL.
Allen seems to believe the Nittany Lions’ defensive line could once again be one of the team’s strongest overall units and has a chance to be even better in 2024.
Abdul Carter has made the switch to defensive end, from linebacker, a natural progression for the disruptive edge rusher. Meanwhile, Dani Dennis-Sutton is primed for a breakout year.
But, the Nittany Lions End strength is in DEPTH. Powerful depth.
And they are all show-stoppers for opposing offenses.
Breaking Down Penn State Football’s Strength at Defensive End
Dani Dennis-Sutton, Junior
Dennis-Sutton Appeared in all 13 games for Penn State Football last season and started in three.
As primarily a rotation player, Dennis-Sutton finished with 26 tackles (17 solo), six tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, two quarterback hurries, and a pass breakup. Dennis-Sutton came to Penn State as one of the top recruits in the nation two years ago.
The defensive end from McDonogh School was the No. 1 prospect in Maryland and No. 28 prospect in the nation, so there were tremendous expectations for his Nittany Lion career.
He has played very well for two seasons, and was named third-team all-Big Ten last year. But as part of the No. 1 defense in the country, he’s been in the shadows of the likes of fellow defensive ends Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac.
Come this year, nobody will be standing in the way of Dennis-Sutton becoming a superstar for Penn State.
Smith Vilbert, Senior
Smith Vilbert Missed 2023 due to injury.
Prior, he recorded three sacks in the Outback Bowl vs. Arkansas (1/1/22), the most sacks by a Penn State player in a single game since Shaka Toney had three against Purdue in 2019.
Vilbert ultimately resurfaced the next seasonto handle five snaps in the ensuing Rose Bowl victory over Utah. It supplied an encouraging end to an otherwise strange campaign.
“It was a testament to Coach Franklin for trusting me and believing in me after the whole season and everything that went down,” Vilbert recently told reporters. “He kept pushing me, and Coach Deion (Barnes), even Coach (John) Scott when he was here, they kept telling me to be positive, keep working like you’ve got everything right in front of you.” Vilbert is hungry and extremely driven considering the frustrations he’s faced. The amount of fuel I have right now, it’s undescribable.”
This Nittany Lion will absolutely be a problem for opposing offenses.
Abdul Carter
Last year Carter started in all 13 games. Had 48 tackles (25 solo), 5.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, 5 passes defended, 1 interception and 1 forced fumble.
A wrecking ball at Linebacker that has now moved to Defensive End. A Micah Parsons “clone”, Carter is expected to go as a high NFL pick next year.
Where can Carter improve as he melds into the DE role?
Watching film, offenses seem to fool him with simple counter or option plays. Carter’s inexperience with the edge position shows up. A bit of time, and he should be fine. Heck, he may be already. But it’s not something he can afford to be an issue week one vs West Virginia.
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Amin Vanover
When Penn State head coach James Franklin first took the podium following the 2024 Blue-White Game— a 27-0 win for the White Team he mentioned a plethora of topics following the conclusion of spring ball.
The first player discussed wasn’t Drew Allar, Abdul Carter, Nick Singleton, or Kobe King, but a lesser-known Penn State defensive lineman looking to make a significant name for himself during his senior season: Amin Vanover.
“I think he’s going to have a huge year for us,” Franklin said.
Former Penn State Chop Robinson and Adisa Issac are gone, off to the NFL to live out their dreams.
Vanover learned a lot from Robinson and Issac from the hard work, perseverance, and work they did when no one was watching to be great and prepare themselves for the 2024 NFL Draft.
“The hunger is there regardless of whether they lead or not,” Vanover said. “When they were here, they were all still hungry. We were the best defensive line in the country last year for a reason, and that’s not going to change.”
Jameiel Lyons
Coming off his true freshman season, Lyons appeared in eight games.
Lyons Made six tackles (2 solo), 2.5 tackles for loss, a sack and a quarterback hurry. Named the coaching staff’s Developmental Squad Defensive Player of the Week for Iowa, in which the Nittany Lions shut out the Hawkeyes 31-0.
There’s lots of top talent at End on this s squad, But don’t sleep on Lyons, who earned a role as a true freshman.
He appeared in seven games, burning his redshirt after Chop Robinson sustained a midseason injury. Lyons logged the fifth-most reps among Penn State’s defensive ends, showing flashes of what could be.
Before the Peach Bowl, Lyons was labeled a “special” talent by Adisa Isaac. He was called a future first-round pick by linebacker Curtis Jacobs. And now, entering his sophomore season, Lyons is itching to prove that he has what it takes to live up to the billing.
“That’s my plan,” Lyons said. “We’re all grinding to achieve greatness at the end of the day. For me, it’s my second year, and it means a lot. The first year was a learning experience. And I feel like in my second year I’m going to be stronger and better.”
And according to Tom Allen, this defense, and especially the defensive end unit is something he’s never seen, at a level he’s never coached.
“I think the D-line sticks out to me. I think that the guys off the edge, the size and athleticism of those guys is different than probably any place I’ve been,” Allen said asked what intrigues him about Penn State’s defense. “And I think that is a major variable in the things that you do, why you do what you do, how you do what you do.”
Penn State Football blowing up lines, wrecking plays, and taking comfortability away from opposing Quarterbacks will be a tremendous part of setting up the Penn State Offense for success in James Franklin’s quest for a College Football Playoff berth.
MORE: 5 Defensive Players With Most at Stake During Penn State Fall Camp
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He has been recognized for his work as a photographer and has also contributed to various publications including PennLive and The Weather Channel.
Brad is an Air Force veteran, coach and competitive runner that grew up a Nittany Lions fan as his family is originally from the State College area.
His diverse skillset and experiences provide for interesting perspectives on the college football, and sports topics of the day.
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