Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1507572
O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3 3 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M his abilities but where he stands on the depth chart and what he is expected to do week in and week out. Earning Snaps Dennis-Sutton changed his body this offseason. He bulked up to 261 pounds, and now when Penn State's famed blue buses roll up to Beaver Stadium a few hours before kickoff on game day, he's one of the most physically impressive players in the line of Nittany Lions strid- ing through the crowd on their way to the locker room. Dennis-Sutton has always had size and speed. Now, he's matching his elite stature with a tool- kit that features different pass-rushing moves and better technique to take full advantage of his new role. Dennis-Sutton said that he knows go- ing into every game what that role is go- ing to be, thanks to the prep work first- year defensive line coach Deion Barnes does with all of his players. "Deion pretty much tells us the week of the game about how many snaps we're going to play," Dennis-Sutton said. "That's the reason why I like Coach Deion, because he's straight up with us. He tells us what it's going to be. "He didn't give us the exact snap count, but he told me, you know, just be ready, because [against West Virginia and Delaware], I'm going to be playing a lot and throughout the season. He said I've earned the snaps." That positive reinforcement meant a great deal to the sophomore defensive lineman. "It was good to hear that," Dennis- Sutton said. "All of the coaches, every year, they sit down with their players and discuss their role for the upcom- ing year. Deion told me I was consis- tent every day in terms of doing my job. He was telling me, keep those things up throughout the season and you'll be get- ting the reps you want. "I knew exactly what I was going into. This time last year, I did not know. I pre- fer to know, and that's what Deion does." Players have appreciated Barnes' straightforward coaching style; it's clear that he knows how to get through to them. Dennis-Sutton has been one