Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1454229
3 2 M A R C H 2 0 2 2 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M for Dennis-Sutton. After committing at the end of July, he went into preseason practice preparing to play his first sea- son since 2019 at McDonogh, which had elected not to play in 2020 because of the pandemic. But during a preseason game, Dennis-Sutton suffered a broken elbow. For a player who had never been injured before, and also hadn't played the sport he loves for nearly two years, it felt like a cruel twist of fate. Dennis-Sutton tried to play about six weeks later but realized quickly that he still wasn't 100 percent. He sat out two more weeks before returning against Loyola Blakefield on Oct. 9. McDonogh was 2-4 at the time. Not only did Dennis-Sutton come back and shine individually, totaling seven sacks on the season, but his impact and leadership helped McDonogh win four of its final five games, earning the team a spot in the MIAA A Conference playoffs. The Eagles then upset Arch- bishop Spalding, 7-0, in the semifinals, but fell just short of a championship, los- ing to Calvert Hall in the title game. "We were bummed out to lose the championship game after such an in- credible comeback," Dennis-Sutton said. "No one had us in the champion- ship game. I don't even think we be- lieved that was possible, so I was still really proud of my guys. It felt great fi- nally getting back out on the field with my teammates." Dennis-Sutton wasn't able to en- roll early at Penn State — McDonogh doesn't allow it — but that gave him an opportunity to play in two January all-star games: the All-American Bowl in San Antonio and the Polynesian Bowl in Honolulu. As expected, Dennis-Sutton shined in both. In fact, he earned five-star ratings from both On3 and 247Sports follow- ing the two games. That moved him up to No. 23 in the On3 Consensus Player Rankings, making Dennis-Sutton the highest-ranked player in the Lions' 2022 class. Said Charles Power, On3's director of scouting, "His showing at the All-American Bowl validated our thoughts and raised his rankings ceiling a bit." ■ DANI DENNIS-SUTTON DE | 6-5 | 255 MCDONOGH SCHOOL (MD.) MILLSBORO, DEL. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE consensus ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 23 3 1 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 20 3 1 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 79 8 2 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 7 1 1 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 28 7 1 STATISTICS • After missing the first half of senior season, Dennis-Sutton totaled 19 tackles for loss and seven sacks in the final seven games. • Missed junior season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. • Totaled 40 tackles, six sacks and two forced fumbles as a sophomore. • Had 14 tackles as a freshman. NOTABLE • Served as a two-time team captain. • Returned to action at midseason after an in- jury as a senior and helped McDonogh win four of its last five games and reach the champion- ship game of the MIAA A Conference. • Participated in both the All-American Bowl and Polynesian Bowl. RECRUITMENT • Committed to Penn State on July 22, 2021. • Recruited by defensive line coach John Scott Jr. and tight ends coach Ty Howle. • Chose the Nittany Lions over Alabama and Georgia. • Officially visited on June 11, 2021. 2022 PROJECTION Dennis-Sutton isn't an early enrollee, but he has the potential to make an early impact at Penn State, possibly as soon as his freshman season. THEY SAID IT Charles Power, On3 director of scouting and rankings: "We've always been high on Dani Den- nis-Sutton dating to the initial On300 ranking in August [2021]. He was banged up at different points, but you could see the talent level as a big, athletic, high-energy pass rusher. His showing at the All-American Bowl validated our thoughts and raised his rankings ceiling a bit. "Dennis-Sutton more or less had his way with offensive tackles all week, first dominating 1-on-1 drills then making several plays during the game. He did similarly at the Polynesian Bowl. "Dennis-Sutton's speed-to-power as a pass rusher, paired with his ready-made size and top- notch motor, make him one of the better edge prospects in our eyes and ultimately an easy call as a five-star prospect." BWI analyst Thomas Frank Carr: "Penn State has recruited some great pass rushers under James Franklin. It's been a barrage of great defensive ends from Yetur Gross-Matos and Shaka Toney to Odafe Oweh and Micah Parsons. Without a doubt, Dennis-Sutton is the most technically advanced rusher of the group at this point in his career. He blends burst, improving long speed and raw power to eviscerate blockers on a physical level. "That strength and length are similar to Gross- Matos, but his hand fighting techniques are already college-level. While he's a tick stiff at times, in no way has that limited his production so far." Dennis-Sutton was chosen to play in two all-star games, the All-American Bowl and Polynesian Bowl, after a senior season in which he totaled 19 tackles for loss and seven sacks in seven games. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER