Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545675
1 6 A U G U S T 2 0 2 6 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Like many of his teammates, sopho- more defensive end Yvan Kemajou was not a full participant in Penn State's spring practice sessions. Kemajou was hindered by an unspeci- fied injury that forced him out of action during the early stages of the Nittany Li- ons' offseason drills. The timing was un- fortunate for all concerned. Penn State is in the midst of a major overhaul on both sides of the ball, and the absence of play- ers like Kemajou and fellow sophomore defensive end Max Granville, who suf- fered a back injury after recovering from last year's torn ACL, was a setback. Still, Kemajou was able to get back on the practice field in the final weeks, help- ing him acclimate to the new defense that first-year coordinator D'Anton Lynn is installing. The 6-foot-3, 252-pound edge rusher from Burtonsville, Md., showed promise operating out of Jim Knowles' defense last year, but he's ticketed for a much bigger role this fall. Kemajou recently talked with Penn State beat reporters about his prepara- tions for the upcoming season. QUESTION: What did you get to do in the spring? We didn't see you out there too much. KEMAJOU: "I was hoping to be able to do everything this spring, but I was com- ing back from a little injury. I was full-go around the last week or two, so that was good. But I've just been taking it one day at a time, rep by rep." QUESTION: What's been the hardest part of working your way back? KEMAJOU: "It's tough seeing other people getting to play and you're just sit- ting back not able to play. It's a little bit challenging. I was really frustrated at first, but then I took the time to realize that it's fine, I've got to take the time to get better, and it's all on God's timing." QUESTION: How much growth did you see from the team during spring prac- tice? KEMAJOU: "A lot of growth. We've been getting into the playbook. Every- thing has been good, just meshing to- gether. Spring ball really brings a team together, chemistry-wise. Seeing that growth has been amazing." QUESTION: Max Granville was also limited this spring. Were you guys able to bond while you were working your way back? KEMAJOU: "Max is my guy. We have a bond, injured or not. But yeah, it was tough for him, too. He wanted to play spring ball, especially coming off the long-term injury with the ACL and now suffering another thing. I know it sucks, but we're there for each other. We do what we can when it comes to football, and then we just relax and kick back." QUESTION: You've been using mul- tiple fronts on the defensive line. What's it been like learning that defense, and how do you feel you've settled into what D'Anton Lynn is doing with his system? KEMAJOU: "It's been good. The way Coach Lynn has been integrating all the plays has been really good. All the walk- throughs we've been doing to make sure we've got the plays down — those have been great. I think the way we've set ev- erything up has been for our success." QUESTION: From your perspective, how does D'Anton Lynn's defense differ from Jim Knowles' defense last year or anything else you've been a part of? KEMAJOU: "Defense is defense. Every defense has got their base calls and differ- ent special things they do. I've only been through two so far [at the college level]. I've seen some differences, but I just like playing defense. Give me a play, and I'm going to play it." QUESTION: What are you seeing from the defensive tackles? There are a lot of new faces there with all the transfers. How have they been progressing? KEMAJOU: "The transfers are great guys, great ball players. They occupy space, but they can also move in space. They can go out there and penetrate gaps if need be. It's amazing to see how they play." QUESTION: What personal growth have you experienced in the past year? You were thrown into the fire last season as a freshman, and now you're almost like the leader of that defensive end group. KEMAJOU: "It's almost like I'm a se- nior now. It's interesting being around this group of guys, because we're all lead- ing each other. We're all just helping each other, because it's a new defense for us. We're helping each other learn and get the defense down, all the techniques. It's great to be in that environment, because we're always bouncing ideas off each other, just our own tips on how to get the plays right." Sitting Down With Sophomore Defensive End Yvan Kemajou Kemajou played in 11 games as a true freshman last fall and finished with 5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL