Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1537537
6 A U G U S T 2 0 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State had been anticipating big things from redshirt freshman de- fensive end Max Granville in the fall, but the staff will have to adjust their plan at the position after he went down with a long-term injury earlier this summer. Granville was an expected member of the two-deep in 2025, with the Nittany Lions having rebuilt following the depar- tures of Abdul Carter, Amin Vanover and Smith Vilbert. His place in the pecking order was not yet solidified, but he was paired up with classmate Jaylen Harvey behind projected senior starters Dani Dennis-Sutton and Zuriah Fisher. Even after adding about 25 pounds since re- classifying and arriving in Happy Valley last summer, Granville has been viewed as the Nittany Lions' twitchy pass-rush- ing option at defensive end. What does this change mean for posi- tion coach Deion Barnes' group, and who is impacted by the injury the most? The answer to the latter question starts with redshirt freshman Jaylen Harvey. His role was expected to be simi- lar to Granville's in 2025. We originally speculated that Harvey would be more of a three-down player than Granville, but when the latter showed up in the spring at right around 250 pounds, those thoughts quickly dissipated. Harvey's role is unchanged from expectations ahead of the 2025 season. Penn State was also looking for a con- tribution from redshirt freshman My- lachi Williams. Like Granville, Williams spent much of the past year adding size. He's now listed at 6-foot-3, 252 pounds. Unlike Granville and Harvey, however, Williams did not make it onto the field as a true freshman. He dealt with some minor injuries, so most of his action came during Sunday scrimmages and on the developmental squad. He was named the coaching staff's scout team defensive player of the week four times. Williams stepped up this spring and showed he could crack the back end of the rotation. He's still rounding into form as a complete defensive end, and he was behind the other two against the run. The added size and structure of the pro- gram have helped in that regard. Before Granville's injury, Williams was probably more of a 2026 projection. Now, he'll be forced to step up and play more snaps. It's quite an opportunity for the Phila- delphia native. The Lions could also get some help from true freshman Yvan Kemajou. The staff is irrationally high on Kemajou's potential following his first spring on campus. We projected the Maryland na- tive as a green-light true freshman, so Granville's injury doesn't impact that status. What does change is his projected snap count this fall. Kemajou ascended to first-team reps without the injured Dennis-Sutton in the lineup during spring ball. While he's not expected to start, he was firmly in the mix for rota- tional snaps. Kemajou has added about 15 pounds since arriving in January and is now listed at 250. If he continues to build mo- mentum, he'll have a shot at an elevated role. The Lions think they got a steal here, but projecting long-term success and expecting short-term contributions are different ball games altogether. Ke- majou will need to continue on this ac- celerated path. His projected role doesn't change a lot, but he'll have to grow up quicker than originally anticipated. There might also be a spot in the rota- tion for redshirt sophomore Mason Rob- inson. We've heard whispers of Robinson doing some good things in practice. Un- fortunately, he's been slowed by injuries. Penn State was expecting him to be in the mix for the second-team role this spring, along with Granville and Harvey, but he's had difficulty staying on the field. Another possibility is Texas A&M transfer Enai White. The redshirt junior arrived on campus undeveloped and be- hind much of the group athletically. To his credit, he's bulked up considerably and is now listed at 6-5, 275. We're still in a managing-expectations mode for White. He showed some flashes in spring ball but was still below some younger players in the pecking or- der coming out of spring. This room has a lot of youthful talent, but it will need more seasoning until it can match past production. White bumps up a rung on the ladder, but he still needs to improve to get onto the field. Finally, for the second summer in a row, Penn State had a member of its current recruiting class reclassify to the prior cycle. This year, it's Daniel Jen- nings, a four-star prospect from Princ- eton, W.Va. Jennings appears ticketed for the inte- rior of the defensive line eventually, but at 6-1, 249 pounds, he's expected to start out at defensive end. It's a huge jump from West Virginia high school ball to the Big Ten, but he'll provide numbers. It bears mentioning that Granville was able to play in seven games as a true fresh- man, so maybe Jennings can pitch in here or there during what should be a redshirt year. ■ Max Granville had been expected to play a significant role on the Lions' defensive front, but now they will likely turn to several other young edge rushers. PHOTO BY SEAN FITZ A Key Injury Forces PSU To Improvise JUDGMENT CALL O P I N I O N SEAN FITZ SEAN.FITZ@ON3.COM