Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1480138
1 0 O C T O B E R 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 T here were four seconds left in Penn State's season opener at Purdue, just enough time for Boilermakers quarterback Aidan O'Connell to see if he could produce a miracle. Instead, the only thing O'Connell saw was sophomore defensive end Chop Robinson. Robinson had juked past Purdue of- fensive tackle Eric Miller and rampaged into the backfield with breathtaking speed, dragging O'Connell to the turf before he even had a chance to get his feet set for one last heave toward the end zone. The ball squirted out, but the game was over as soon as O'Connell's knee hit the turf. The Nittany Lions had held on for a 35-31 victory, and Robin- son's sack served as a fitting exclama- tion point. "I was telling myself, 'You've got to make this play,'" Robinson recalled. "Of course, I was tired. I'd gotten a lot of reps in that game, but I kept telling my- self, 'Just push through. This is going to be the last play, and you've got to get it.' "Coming off the ball, I knew they were scared of my speed, so I hesitated like I was going inside, and [Miller] fell for that move. Then I just bent the cor- ner on the edge, and I saw the quarter- back right there. "It was a great play and a great feel- ing." The opportunity to make plays like that was one of the reasons Robinson had joined the Nittany Lions in the off- season after starting his career at Mary- land. He was part of Penn State's 2022 transfer class — a class that certainly is smaller than that of some other Power Five programs but has been impactful in the early going. In addition to Robinson, who has al- ternated with redshirt senior Nick Tar- burton at defensive end and had 2 tack- les for loss and 3 quarterback hurries through four games, the Lions brought in super senior wide receiver Mitch- ell Tinsley and redshirt senior interior lineman Hunter Nourzad. Nourzad, a second-team FCS All- American at Cornell, didn't start any of the Nittany Lions' first four games, but his versatility has been an asset. He's the primary backup at both guard and center. Tinsley, meanwhile, has been one of Penn State's top receivers. Through four games, he had totaled a team-high 17 catches for 209 yards and 3 touch- downs. Head coach James Franklin said that PSU had big expectations for all three transfers. The Lions brought in Tins- ley with the idea that he would join the starting lineup and play a key role in filling the void left by graduated All-Big Ten wideout Jahan Dotson. Robinson and Nourzad had tougher paths to the top of the depth chart, but the coaches anticipated that both would see ample playing time right away. "With Chop, we obviously had high expectations of who and what he could be for us," Franklin said. "He's really come in and adjusted well. I know the coaches have fallen in love with him. His teammates have as well. He's just got a good way about him. "He's really brought a lot to our team, and specifically to our defense. You'll see him play a lot. Whether it's rotating in, whether it's starting, we'll see how TRANSFERS MAKE IMMEDIATE IMPACT FOR NITTANY LIONS MATT HERB | MATT.HERB@ON3.COM NEWS & NOTES Sophomore defensive end Chop Robinson has made a number of key plays this season, including the sack that clinched Penn State's season-opening victory over Purdue. PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE