Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1503568
A U G U S T 2 0 2 3 6 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / D E F E N S I V E L I N E M E N / / / / / / / ZANE DURANT So. | 6-1 | 280 • Played in 13 games as a true freshman, finishing with 5 tackles and a sack. • Was a four-year letterman and two-time team captain at Lake Nona (Fla.) High. DVON ELLIES R-Sr. | 6-1 | 302 • Totaled 15 tackles last fall, including 2 for loss, 1 sack and 1 forced fumble while appearing in 13 games, with one start (vs. Northwestern). • Saw action in all 13 games in 2021, totaling 15 tackles. COZIAH IZZARD Jr. | 6-3 | 294 • Made 10 tackles in nine game appearances last fall, including 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks and a quarterback hurry. • Appeared in 13 games during the 2021 season, with seven starts. • Finished with 21 tackles, 3 tackles for loss and 2 sacks in 2021. DAVON TOWNLEY JR. R-So. | 6-6 | 267 • Listed as a defensive tackle this year after begin- ning his Penn State career at defensive end. • Appeared in seven games as a redshirt fresh- man in 2022, finishing with 3 tackles. JORDAN van den BERG R-So. | 6-3 | 301 • Finished with 9 tackles, 1.5 sacks and 2 quar- terback hurries while seeing action in 13 games last fall. • Appeared in four games during the 2021 season and was named the scout team's defensive player of the year. • Transferred from Iowa Western Community Col- lege in June 2021. Defensive End DANI DENNIS-SUTTON So. | 6-5 | 258 • Appeared in all 13 games as a true freshman last fall and finished with 3 sacks, 3.5 tackles for loss, 3 quarterback hurries and an interception. • Was named a True Freshman All-American by ESPN.com. • Received a five-star rating in the On3 Industry Ranking. ZURIAH FISHER R-Jr. | 6-3 | 253 • Saw action in only two games during the 2022 season (Maryland and Rutgers) due to an injury he suffered in spring practice. • Appeared in eight games in 2021, making 4 tackles. ADISA ISAAC R-Sr. | 6-4 | 254 • Was a third-team All-Big Ten honoree after lead- ing PSU with 11 tackles for loss and totaling 4 sacks and 8 quarterback hurries in 2022. • Shared PSU's Outstanding Defensive Lineman Award with fellow defensive end Chop Robin- son. • Missed the 2021 season with an Achilles tendon injury. CHOP ROBINSON Jr. | 6-3 | 250 • Earned honorable mention All-Big Ten notice af- ter totaling 10 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, 2 pass breakups, 3 quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery in 2022. • Transferred to Penn State after a true freshman season at Maryland in which he played in 13 games and finished with 19 tackles and 2 sacks. AMIN VANOVER Jr. | 6-4 | 266 • Played in all 13 games last season, finishing with 16 tackles including 4.5 for loss and 1 sack. • Appeared in six games in 2021, posting 4 tack- les. SMITH VILBERT R-Sr. | 6-6 | 275 • Sat out the 2022 regular season for undisclosed reasons but played in the Rose Bowl without recording any statistics. • Appeared in 12 games during the 2021 sea- son and started for PSU in its Outback Bowl matchup against Arkansas. • Totaled 3 sacks against the Razorbacks, the most sacks by a Penn State player in a single game since Shaka Toney had 3 against Purdue in 2019. NEWCOMERS Defensive Tackle TY BLANDING Fr. | 6-1 | 276 • Received a three-star grade, and was the No. 93 defensive tackle nationally and the No. 2 pros- pect in New York in the On3 Industry Ranking. • Finished with 6 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and 17 quarterback hurries as a senior at Christ the King Regional High. ALONZO FORD JR. Jr. | 6-2 | 287 • Transferred to Penn State from Old Dominion in May. • Started 12 games and finished with 32 tackles, 3.5 sacks and 5 tackles for loss as a sophomore last fall, earning honorable mention All-Sun Belt honors. Defensive End JAMEIAL LYONS Fr. | 6-5 | 242 • Was a four-star prospect, the No. 271 overall player and No. 26 defensive end nationally, and the No. 4 player in Pennsylvania in the On3 Industry Ranking. • Totaled 115 tackles and 11 sacks during his ju- nior and senior seasons at Roman Catholic High in Philadelphia. JOSEPH MUPOYI Fr. | 6-5 | 253 • Received a four-star grade, and was the No. 375 player and No. 38 defensive end nationally, and the No. 2 prospect in Connecticut per the On3 Industry Ranking. • Helped lead Archbishop Carroll in Washington, D.C., to a 13-1 record and a Class AA champion- ship in the D.C. Athletic Association before a postgrad year at St. Thomas More (Conn.). MASON ROBINSON Fr. | 6-3 | 232 • Was a three-star prospect, the No. 60 defensive end in the country and the No. 12 prospect in Maryland per the On3 Industry Ranking. • Totaled 83 tackles (15 for loss) and 9 sacks as a senior at McDonogh School in Baltimore. Coach James Franklin described sophomore Dani Dennis- Sutton as "unblockable" in the Blue-White Game. PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE