Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1472993
A U G U S T 2 0 2 2 6 1 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 2021 vs. 2022: Stock Up Or Down? Until someone emerges as a game-changing pass rusher, you'd have to say that Penn State's stock is down a bit from last year. The Nittany Lions finished with 27 sacks in 2021, 9.5 of which were supplied by defensive end Arnold Ebiketie. That impressive showing led to Ebiketie's selection in the second round of the NFL Draft, and it's not clear that anyone on the current roster has the ability to fill the statistical void he leaves behind. Redshirt junior Adisa Isaac earned praise from the coaching staff in spring practice, but he's coming off an Achilles tendon injury that forced him to sit out last year and has amassed only 3 sacks since arriving at PSU in 2019. Maryland transfer Demeioun "Chop" Robinson is another player who could help out after seeing action in 13 games and making a pair of sacks in his lone season with the Terps. The Lions also have some questions to answer at the defensive tackle spots after finishing 10th in the Big Ten against the run last year (152.4 yards per game). They do have some experienced interior linemen in red- shirt sophomore Coziah Izzard and redshirt junior Dvon Ellies, but here, too, there are a few unresolved matters heading into preseason camp that will determine how Penn State fares this fall. Which brings us to … X-Factor How long will it take for super senior defensive tackle PJ Mustipher to round back into top form? The 6-4, 329-pound Mustipher is coming off a season- ending leg injury he suffered in Week 6 last season at Iowa. He said his goal is "to come back better than I was last year," but he was still rehabbing this past spring and may or may not be full-go when preseason practice starts up. A fully healthy Mustipher will be a huge asset to Penn State's defense. He won second-team All-Big Ten honors last fall despite missing the team's final seven games. But with his recovery expected to take anywhere from eight months to a year, it's unclear at this point when he will be back at full strength. Freshman Outlook Although the defensive line isn't usually a spot where true freshmen make an immediate impact, especially the interior spots, the Lions landed two potential early risers in five-star edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton and four-star tackle Zane Durant. Dennis-Sutton already has the size (6-5, 255) and the pedigree to con- tribute at the outset of his career. And as it happens, he's arriving at a time when the Nittany Lions are short on proven pass rushers. Preparation, meet opportunity. The 6-1, 265-pound Durant was one of the headliners this past spring, having enrolled in January. He immediately began evoking comparisons to Kevin Givens, another seemingly undersized defensive tackle who is now preparing for his fourth NFL season. — Matt Herb DEFENSIVE LINEMEN Scholarship Players (17) NO. PLAYER CL. HT. WT. DEFENSIVE END 46 Nick Tarburton R-Sr. 6-3 260 20 Adisa Isaac R-Jr. 6-4 244 36 Zuriah Fisher* So. 6-3 260 44 Demeioun "Chop" Robinson So. 6-3 242 56 Amin Vanover So. 6-4 266 90 Rodney McGraw R-Fr. 6-5 271 18 Davon Townley Jr. R-Fr. 6-6 268 33 Dani Dennis-Sutton Fr. 6-5 255 — Ken Talley Fr. 6-2 238 DEFENSIVE TACKLE 97 PJ Mustipher Sr.+ 6-4 329 91 Dvon Ellies R-Jr. 6-1 302 99 Coziah Izzard R-So. 6-3 296 55 Fatorma Mulbah So. 6-3 305 51 Hakeem Beamon R-Jr. 6-3 269 52 Jordan van den Berg R-Fr. 6-3 295 58 Kaleb Artis Fr. 6-4 310 28 Zane Durant Fr. 6-1 265 * Will miss the 2022 season with an injury Quick Facts Position coach: John Scott Jr. (third season) Returning starters: DE Nick Tarburton (8 career starts), DT Coziah Izzard (7), DT PJ Mustipher (16) Departing starter: DE Arnold Ebiketie (12), DT Derrick Tangelo (12) Projected new starter: DE Adisa Isaac Top reserves: DE Smith Vilbert, DE Amin Vanover, DT Hakeem Beamon, DT Dvon Ellies, DT Jordan van den Berg Newcomers: DE Dani Dennis-Sutton DE Demeioun "Chop" Robinson, DE Ken Talley, DT Kaleb Artis, DT Zane Durant Moved in: None Moved out: None Despite playing in only six games as a fourth-year senior last season, defensive tackle PJ Mustipher finished with 21 stops, including 3 tackles for loss and a sack. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL