Penn State Sports Magazine
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5 6 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 1 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M gests that Scott should have plenty to work with. "Coach Scott has already shown me that he can get the best out of guys," Dennis-Sutton said. "He's really only had one guy so far who is on that [NFL] level, and that was Jayson Oweh, who got drafted really high. I think that's im- pressive. But also, before he got here, he produced some guys [at South Caro- lina]. I feel like his track record is im- pressive." Penn State's other committed play- ers also played a role in getting Dennis- Sutton to join the team. He said he's "become close with all of them," add- ing that "there really isn't one guy I'm closer with. All of them have been mes- saging me and showing me why they committed to Penn State. They're a great group." McDonogh coach Hakeem Sule said that Dennis-Sutton's potential was evi- dent even as a freshman. "He had amazing size," Sule said. "What we didn't know was how re- lentless and how passionate about the game he would become, and we saw that throughout the course of his fresh- man year. He was a kid who was big and strong. He didn't have the technique, but you could see his preparation day in and day out. Over the course of the season, it really came together. By the middle of the season you're like, 'Wow this guy has a chance.'" Dennis-Sutton went on to become one of the most sought-after prospects in the country, earning 35 verbal scholarship offers. He included Louisville, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio State, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M and USC among his top 12 schools, with the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs joining Penn State in his top three. Earlier this summer, he took official visits to all three of his top schools, with Georgia hosting him first, June 4-6. Penn State then hosted him the follow- ing weekend, June 11-13, with Alabama getting him on campus June 18-20. Dennis-Sutton ultimately chose be- tween the Nittany Lions and Bulldogs. Due to the pandemic, Dennis-Sutton didn't play football in 2020. He'll par- ticipate in the All-American Bowl in January, and later in the year he'll head to Penn State, where Sule expects that his athletic talent and approach to the game will continue to serve him well. "He's just a natural leader on the field," Sule said. "In the weight room, he's always working out, always push- ing his body to the limits. He does that naturally. It's organic. It's not some- thing the coaches are trying to force on him. He's just a natural leader." ■ Penn State landed the crown jewel in its Class of 2022 on July 22 in five-star defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton. According to Rivals.com, Dennis-Sutton is the top-ranked defensive end in the na- tion and the 11th overall prospect in the Class of 2022. While he's received many accolades, the McDonogh School prospect is a bit of an enigma. Dennis- Sutton didn't play football in 2020 because Maryland suspended athletics in the fall. While play re- sumed in the spring, McDonogh School chose not to participate. In order to evaluate his skills, we'll have to use game film from the 2019 season. STRENGTHS Size and body type: Dennis-Sutton is a comically large high school football player and has been since his freshman year at McDonogh. His 6-foot-5 frame looks bigger than that on film, and it's a surprise that he only weighs 253 pounds based on his powerful lower half and impressive body proportions. He's got the ideal build for a strongside defensive end, and there's no question that he translates well to the next level. Power: A good bit of Dennis-Sutton's play is based on raw power and the ability to overwhelm blockers. While that won't work all the time at the college level, he does have the ability to simply win because he's bigger and stronger than most football players. His frame and growth potential indicate he can continue doing that as he matures. Hand usage: I don't know if I've ever watched a player get better on a weekly basis the way Dennis-Sutton did during his sophomore season. You can see the light go on over the course of the year in terms of hand usage, pass-rushing moves and understanding how to use his length. His hand usage started out as an area of development but by the end was one of his best assets. AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT Pad level: Dennis-Sutton's pad level is the one thing that sticks out most about his play, and it's not even close. The best way to lose the advantage of height and length as a defensive lineman is to stand straight up at the snap. It's a habit that dates back to his freshman season, and while he's got- ten better, he can still improve quite a bit. On film, he's unstoppable when he fires out low and uses his incredible strength to toss blockers aside. Improving his pad level will also improve his contact balance and unlock more of his core and lower-body strength. For now, he can be moved off the spot and redirected easier than you would like. Consistency: The problem with being 6-5, 250 pounds and having dominant reps on tape is that dominance becomes expected over time. Dennis-Sutton may be a victim of that to a degree, but in general, he isn't as consistent as you would like to see. Or at least that wasn't the case in 2019. The good news is that he appeared to steadily improve throughout the 2019 season. Still, until we see him this fall, his consistency will remain a question mark, as unfair as that might be. Chase plays and finish: Dennis-Sutton is a big guy, and he runs like a big guy. He's not exactly a chase player who can run plays down from the backside of an offensive formation like a linebacker. While that may not be a primary part of his game, he could stand to get better in this area. Work- ing on the previous areas of development such as keeping his pad level down will not only help him disengage from blocks but will help him turn and run in open space. PROJECTION Strongside defensive end: No matter where he plays, Dennis-Sutton's game will rely quite a bit on power over speed. It will be interesting to see what type of athlete he has become since we last saw him play at the end of 2019. He was beyond impressive on the camp scene this summer, domi- nating offensive linemen, but how that translates to the field is still a bit unclear. There isn't much recent film to watch, and he's seen only a handful of snaps at his natural posi- tion, having played mostly at the three-technique defensive tackle spot. Given those caveats, there are more questions than you would expect for a five-star player. Still, his hand usage, college-ready build and development as a pass rusher make him a great prospect as a strongside defensive end. As long as he can fix his pad level, he'll be a dominant run defender who can use his hands to get to the quarterback. — Thomas Frank Carr P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N