Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1400830
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 1 5 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State picked up arguably its biggest commitment since 2018 on July 22 with the addition of five- star defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton. A 6-foot-5, 253-pound edge rusher from McDonogh School in Baltimore, Dennis-Sutton had been the staff's top overall target in the class for almost two years, earning an offer from the Nittany Lions in May 2019. Five months later, in October, he attended Penn State's White Out victory over Michigan, and it ended up being the only unofficial visit he took, since all in-person recruiting was put on hold the following spring. By the time the NCAA opened every- thing up in June, Dennis-Sutton was basically down to three schools. The Nittany Lions ended up beating out Southeastern Conference powers Ala- bama and Georgia. "It really just came down to relation- ships. I feel like I have a great relation- ship with all of their coaches," Den- nis-Sutton said. "Also, they produce players. They've done a great job getting the most out of guys. I just trust their process and I like the way they go about it. It really comes down to trust." Dennis-Sutton's recruitment was truly a team effort, especially during the past two months. Head coach James Franklin and defensive coordinator Brent Pry were both heavily involved, while defensive line coach John Scott Jr. was technically his lead recruiter. In addition, safeties coach Anthony Poindexter, who has become the pri- mary recruiter for the school, helped Penn State make the case that it was Dennis-Sutton's best option. PSU na- tional recruiting coordinator Kenny Sanders, a 2000 graduate of McDonogh, pitched in, too. In fact, one could argue that Sanders played as big a role as any- one. Graduate assistant Deion Barnes also was a key part of this commitment. "All of their coaches had a major impact," Dennis-Sutton said. "From John Scott and Coach Franklin down to Kenny Sanders and Deion Barnes, everyone just showed that they were committed to me and want to help me reach my potential. They all showed a lot of love." As his future position coach, Scott will oversee Dennis-Sutton's develop- ment during the next few years. Dennis- Sutton said he feels confident that Scott will help him reach his potential in the years ahead. His current ranking as the No. 11 overall prospect nationally sug- Five-Star Defensive End Boosts Penn State's Class RYA N S N Y D E R | S N Y D E R 4 2 0 8 8 @ G M A I L . C O M When he picked Penn State over Georgia and Alabama in July, Dennis-Sutton became the first five-star prospect to com- mit to the Lions since Micah Parsons in 2018. Rivals has him ranked as the No. 1 strongside defensive end in the nation. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM COMMITMENT PROFILE DANI DENNIS-SUTTON