Happy Valley Insider continues our look ahead to the 2023 Penn State Football season by continuing our countdown. Admittedly, we missed yesterday's post, meaning we had to go for two-for-one here on Tuesday to catch up. In case you missed it, we highlighted our No. 11 player earlier today, WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith.
Now, we move to the defensive side of the ball for our No. 10 player, Dani Dennis-Sutton.
As a true freshman last year, the Millsboro, Delaware native and former McDonogh School (MD) standout flashed his unreal potential. An ESPN True Freshman All-American, Dennis-Sutton recorded 17 tackles last season, including three sacks, three tackles for loss, three quarterback hurries, one interception, and one additional pass breakup.
As the season went on, Dennis-Sutton could actively be seen becoming more comfortable in Penn State's defense and with the college game. According to Pro Football Focus, Dennis-Sutton also finished as one of Penn State's top five pass rushers, over the likes of Abdul Carter and Adisa Isaac. While he enjoyed much of that success against the likes of Central Michigan and Ohio, he continued to show flashes of promise during Penn State's more formidable opponents throughout his freshman season.
Across 108 pass-rushing opportunities, Dennis-Sutton recorded 18 total pressures, according to PFF, including 12 quarterback hurries. His 18 total pressures were tied for fourth on the team, only behind Chop Robinson, Adisa Isaac, and Curtis Jacobs. The hype surrounding Dennis-Sutton continued to build during the spring, including a two-sack performance during the team's annual Blue-White Spring Game in April.
For those who have paid attention to our series, you will have noticed we ranked Issac below Dennis-Sutton in our player rankings, which is bold considering Isaac put up 11 tackles for loss and four sacks a season ago.
Don't get us wrong, Isaac is a strong edge rusher for Penn State and could work his way into a strong NFL Draft selection next fall. However, the ceiling that Dennis-Sutton has is much higher than anyone else on this defensive line, including Chop Robinson and Adisa Issac. With a year of playing time under his belt and a more prominent role set for him this fall, we believe that the Delaware native is set for a significant breakout season for Penn State.
Look for Dennis-Sutton to become an integral part of Penn State's pass rush this season, and don't be surprised if he is leading the team in sacks, tackles for a loss, or both when December comes around.
PREVIOUS COUNTDOWN POSTS
No. 11 WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith
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