Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1514597
3 2 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M KEY LOSSES Chop Robinson | DE | Jr. Missed two games with an injury and opted out of the Peach Bowl but still had a huge impact on the Nittany Lions' defense. Robinson produced 15 tackles, including 7.5 for loss and 4 sacks, with 5 quarterback hurries en route to declaring as an early entry to the NFL Draft. He appears poised to become a first-round selection. Adisa Isaac | DE | Sr. Made a significant jump in his fifth and final season with the Nittany Lions. A returning starter with third-team All- Big Ten honors coming out of the 2022 slate, Isaac paired with Robinson to be- come a force as bookends last season. For Isaac, that meant 37 tackles with team highs for tackles for loss (16) and sacks (7.5). He also added 5 quarterback hurries and was named the most valu- able defensive player at the team ban- quet. Isaac declared for the NFL Draft in the days leading up to the Peach Bowl. KEY RETURNEES Kaleb Artis | DT | R-So. Has the buzz of a future contributor at defensive tackle after spending the 2022 campaign as a redshirt while appearing primarily on special teams this past sea- son. Listed at 6-foot-4, 319 pounds, he was the Developmental Squad Defen- sive Player of the Week leading into the Rutgers game in November and notched a tackle against Michigan State to close out the regular season. Hakeem Beamon | DT | R-Sr.+ Provided a big boost to Penn State's outlook on the defensive line when on Jan. 5 he announced his return for a sixth and final season with the Nittany Li- ons in 2024. A steady contributor for the 2022 and '23 campaigns, Beamon most recently notched 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack while totaling 11 quarterback hurries according to Pro Football Focus. Jordan van den Berg | DT | R-Sr. Described as potentially the "most improved guy in the program" by head coach James Franklin last summer. Van den Berg contributed throughout the 2023 campaign in a reserve role at DT. He finished with 11 tackles, including partial credit on a stop for loss, while tallying 154 reps on the interior of the Nittany Lions' defensive line. Dani Dennis-Sutton | DE | Jr. Followed up a freshman season that landed him on ESPN's True Freshman All-America squad by turning in an even more impressive performance in 2023. Dennis-Sutton tallied 26 tackles on the season, including 6 for loss and 3.5 sacks, to go along with 3 quarterback hurries and a pair of forced fumbles. Zane Durant | DT | Jr. Put on 15 pounds of muscle between his true freshman debut in 2022 and this past season, and he stood out as a cru- cial component of the Nittany Lions' equation at defensive tackle. With the added weight and increased role, Durant took advantage, finishing with 17 tack- les, including 5.5 for loss and 2 sacks. Dvon Ellies | DT | R-Sr.+ Announced on Jan. 3 that he would be returning to Penn State for a sixth and final season. His decision, coupled the announcment of Beamon's return, was a double shot of good news for PSU. Over 13 games this past season, Ellies started eight, finishing with 8 quarter- back pressures and 17 tackles, including a season-best performance against Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl. Zuriah Fisher | DE | R-Sr. A contributor for Penn State deep into the rotation at defensive end this sea- son. Fisher showed flashes that could propel him into a larger role in 2024, notching 16 tackles, including 3.5 sacks, in 237 snaps. Nittany Lions Appear Strong In The Middle Dani Dennis-Sutton is set to become a full-time starter in 2024 after finishing with 6 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks as a sophomore. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL DEFENSIVE LINE