Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1544053
A P R I L 2 0 2 6 31 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M season in Bradenton but enjoyed a break- through as a senior, totaling 52 tackles and leading the team in both tackles for loss (14) and sacks (9). He also had 6 quarter- back hurries, 2 pass breakups and a pair of forced fumbles. McPherson had been committed to Oklahoma State but reconsidered in late November and ended up choosing Colo- rado over NC State. During his debut season with the Buf- faloes, McPherson compiled 16 tackles, 6 quarterback hurries and a half sack in 10 game appearances. He had started out preseason camp listed third on the depth chart but went on to finish fourth among Colorado's defensive ends in reps for the season with 211, setting a foundation upon which he is determined to build. His on-field makeup has been a key selling point throughout his career, and McPherson said Penn State fans should expect to see a relentless pass rusher when he steps on the field for the Nittany Lions this coming fall. "I like to say I control what I can con- trol every play. I'm going to give you the most effort I can give. And I'm going to play with violence every play," McPher- son said. "I consider myself an all-around player, first down to third-and-long. I play everything." Staying Focused McPherson is joining the team amid a major overhaul of the defensive line. Dennis-Sutton is preparing for the NFL Draft, and Fisher has transferred to USC. Together, they made 24 starts last season, totaling 10.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss. Five other defensive ends — Chaz Cole- man, Cortez Harris, Jaylen Harvey, Daniel Jennings and Mylachi Williams — also entered the portal. McPherson acknowledged that he was enticed by the opportunity to make an immediate impact on a defensive line that is being substantially rebuilt. At Penn State, he has joined four scholarship re- turnees — sophomores Max Granville and Yvan Kemajou, redshirt freshman Dayshaun Burnett and redshirt junior Mason Robinson. In addition, the Lions have brought in redshirt senior Ike Ezeogu from Iowa State and early-enrollee fresh- men Jackson Ford and Elijah Reeder. With so little experience among the returnees, the path to playing time is wide open. McPherson is part of a squad that's been cobbled together from a variety of sources, as prescribed by Campbell and his staff. During winter workouts, the individual-development portion of the team-building process took precedence with the Nittany Lions preparing for spring practice. "You can't get bored with getting stronger, bigger and faster, because at the end of the day, it's going to play a big role next season for a lot of us," McPherson said. "When spring ball comes, it'll come and it'll be great. "Every time we have open hours, our strength coach is always saying, 'I know you guys are itching, but you've got to stay focused on what we're trying to do here.' Because everybody's trying to get out on the field, they're all hungry. But really, we should be recovering on our off day for the workout the next day, because every- body's just itching for football." In a defensive end room filled with competition and opportunity this spring, McPherson's decision to join the Penn State football team was simple. Now, the work has begun to turn that choice into production for the Nittany Lions. ■ "I like to say I control what I can control every play. I'm going to give you the most effort I can give. And I'm going to play with violence every play. I consider myself an all-around player, first down to third-and-long. I play everything." M C P H E R S O N McPherson said he chose Penn State in large part because he "had heard nothing but good things about Coach [Matt] Campbell." PHOTO BY GREG PICKEL