Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1495456
A P R I L 2 0 2 3 31 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M potential. What's more, he's a humble, self-aware young man who knows how to work on his weaknesses and wants to be great. His hand-fighting coming out of high school was already good, but he's been working on that skill with mixed mar- tial arts trainers in the State College area to be even better. While most of his production came in mop-up duty last season, winning in those situations was translatable to elite production. His length and power are already elite. While he won't be your classic speed-to- power edge rusher, he has the quickness and physical skills to find his way to the quarterback. As a run defender, the sky's the limit. What he needs to work on: Dennis- Sutton needs to improve his pad level out of the chute and keep his frame lower when attacking offensive linemen. He mentioned it in February when discuss- ing the areas he needs to work on follow- ing his first season. If he can do that while continuing to improve his overall burst and quickness, there's no stopping his power. Defensive Wild Card Ta'Mere Robinson LB | Fr. | 6-3 | 237 What he's shown: Robinson started out as a safety at Brashear High in Pitts- burgh before shifting to linebacker dur- ing his junior season. He also spent time at defensive end in high school. While he was very raw as a linebacker, that's the profile of a player who can com- mand the field from the Mike position. At Penn State, Robinson's frame could be whatever he and the coaching staff want it to be. While the specula- tion that he might end up at defensive end has been a bit overblown (he wasn't a great pass rusher), there's always a chance that he does outgrow the line- backer spot. Still, with his profile, Rob- inson could be an elite talent at his cur- rent position. What he needs to work on: Any as- sessment of Robinson's future is compli- cated by the knee injury that forced him to miss his senior season at Brashear. His speed and movement skills were excel- lent prior to getting hurt, but we don't know where they are now. Moreover, he was starting to grasp the position before his injury. After losing a year and a half of football, where is he? Does he know how to play in coverage? Where will his positional instincts land? We need more information before we can say for sure whether his potential is as vast as it seems to be. ■ After 'Frustrating' Start, Zane Durant Makes Progress At Defensive Tackle Defensive tackle Zane Durant made an immediate impression after arriving at Penn State as an early-enrolling freshman in Janu- ary 2022. The Lake Nona, Fla., native created a buzz in the Lasch Building with his high- revving motor and playmaking ability. The optimism that greeted his arrival wasn't universally shared, though. Durant himself felt unsure of his progress while he worked to learn the complexities of the col- lege game. Shortly after joining the program, he told the Lions' defensive line coach at the time, John Scott Jr., that he was unsatisfied with the pace of his development. "It was hard. I came in and I was frus- trated," Durant said. "I had to sit down with Coach Scott. We had a lot of meetings and just talked about it. He said, 'It's part of the game. Don't get frustrated. You'll be straight.'" More than a year later, Scott's assessment has proven accurate. Durant played in all 13 games as a true freshman last season, finishing with 5 tackles and a sack. He was a rare first-year contributor at defensive tackle, joining a rotation that was led by the since- graduated starter PJ Mustipher. To get to that point, Durant had to push through his initial frustrations. He had played in a relatively straightforward system at Lake Nona High, but now he had to learn not only his own responsibilities, but those of the teammates to his left and right. It was only after PSU wrapped up its 15 spring practice sessions that Durant felt he was able to show his coaches that he was making progress. "They just threw me in the fire," he said. "I had to find a way to learn it, so that's why I was getting frus- trated. I kept messing up plays. But then [Scott] said, 'That's part of the game. Work it out now so that when you get to the season it comes naturally.' And it did." Looking back on his freshman year, Durant said he made the most progress as a pass rusher. Pro Foot- ball Focus credited him with 11 total quarterback pressures. His numbers were better than any other performer playing fewer than 170 defensive snaps, and his understanding of the game improved too, he said. His goal now is to get better against the run. He appeared on just 56 running snaps, compiling a 65.2 season grade from PFF that left ample room for improvement. Numbers aside, coach James Franklin said the staff took note of Durant's steady progress, which has continued this offseason. He's up to 275 pounds after playing at 265 last year and is looking to pack more muscle onto his 6-foot-1 frame in order to maximize his potential at Penn State. Franklin is eager to see what's in store for the young defensive tackle heading into Year 2. "Zane is a guy that not a lot of people are talking about, but we think he's doing some really good things," the coach said. "We're excited about him and his future." — Nate Bauer Durant saw action in all 13 games as a true freshman last season, totaling 5 tackles including a sack. PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE