Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1538407
3 4 S E P T E M B E R 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 James Franklin said. "He's one of those guys who I don't think anybody is talking about right now outside of the program, based on people just having not seen him recently. But there's a lot of excitement internally with our players, with our staff. I think those things are really apparent. "You're talking about another older, mature guy who's had some adversity that he's had to overcome, both from a football perspective and some personal stuff. He's got a really bright future, and I think he's got a chance to have a re- ally, really big year." 'His Mindset Is There' Teammates and coaches have been de- termined not to jinx Fisher's final season, and … well … so far, so good. Guided by defensive line coach Deion Barnes, who has worked extensively with him throughout his career — before, dur- ing and after the injuries and setbacks — Fisher has been on an upward trajectory. Displaying an unrelenting ap- proach to his latest rehabilitation effort this offseason, he has developed into a player who many in the program believe is poised for excellence. "He's probably in the best shape of his life. He's been improving, been do- ing what he had to do," Barnes said. "His mindset is there. That's the biggest thing. Everybody's fast, everybody's strong, but if you're mentally stronger than every- body else that's on the field [you can suc- ceed]. I think he's one of those guys. He's got his mind right, he's got his confidence up. When his confidence is up, everybody should fear him." Fisher agrees with his position coach's assessment. A four-star recruit in the class of 2020, listed No. 320 overall na- tionally and No. 20 among all edge rush- ers in the Rivals Industry Ranking, he's always had the physical tools to be a high- level Power Four player. Even during two grueling rehabilitation processes, Fisher believed in his versatility. Targeted primarily for his pass-rush- ing ability, he arrived at Penn State from Aliquippa (Pa.) High standing 6-foot-3, 244 pounds and has since filled out to 258. Along the way, he's embraced the instruc- tion of Barnes, who has urged him to grasp both his strengths and his limitations. Fisher said he's now comfortable beat- ing offensive linemen with speed off the edge, sliding inside, or overpowering op- ponents altogether. Paired with new de- fensive coordinator Jim Knowles, he be- lieves the scheme sets him up to succeed. "I'm just excited about how he's got the D-ends playing this year," Fisher said. "We're playing fast. We don't have to do a lot of thinking this year. We're just going." Ready To Go Barnes has been alongside Fisher for many of his toughest moments. Now in his third year as defensive line coach, he said fortitude is a com- mon trait among his best players, and Fisher has it. "It's tough go- i n g t h r o u g h what he went through — per- Health problems have kept Fisher on the sideline for a significant portion of his career. He played in only two games during the 2022 season and missed the '24 campaign entirely after getting hurt in spring practice. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER