Tom Allen was familiar with Dani Dennis-Sutton well before becoming Penn State’s defensive coordinator. Allen, the former head coach at Indiana, watched from the visitors’ sideline at Beaver Stadium last fall as the defensive end put an end to the Hoosiers’ upset bid.
Indiana was tied with Penn State late in the fourth quarter before Drew Allar’s touchdown strike put the Nittany Lions back on top. Allen’s Hoosiers had a little less than two minutes to engineer a game-tying drive. Then, Dennis-Sutton bullied his blocker and attacked the blindside of quarterback Brendan Sorsby, knocking the ball free and finishing off the Hoosiers.
Allen was asked about that play at last week’s preseason media day. He smiled and nodded his head. Allen acknowledged that Dennis-Sutton “did a lot of great things” in 2023.
But now that he gets to coach him, Allen is hoping to see even more from Dennis-Sutton. The junior is set to take on a starting role with Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac leaving for the NFL. Dennis-Sutton is pegged as a breakout star and could become a first-rounder himself.
“It’s time for him to elevate his game another step,” Allen said. “He’s viewed as the guy. You have to live up to that. He has to embrace the opportunity that’s in front of him.”
Dennis-Sutton has been building toward this opportunity, this moment to assert himself as one of the best edge rushers not only in the Big Ten but in the country.
Everyone could see stardom was possible when Dennis-Sutton was in high school. The 2022 five-star recruit could have gone anywhere. Georgia wanted him. Alabama wanted him. Instead, Dennis-Sutton picked Penn State, and he made his presence felt early.
Dennis-Sutton arrived on campus looking more like a senior than a first-year. He was named an ESPN True Freshman All-American after racking up three sacks, three hurries and an interception, working into the rotation as the defense guided Penn State to an 11-2 season.
As a sophomore, he was behind Robinson and Isaac on the depth chart. But in reality, Dennis-Sutton — aided by Robinson’s injury and Peach Bowl opt-out — played the most snaps of any defensive end on the team. He had six tackles for loss (3 1/2 sacks), two forced fumbles and two pass breakups. He also created sacks for others, affecting the pocket with his tenacity and length. Whenever Dennis-Sutton was out there, a big play seemed possible.
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Now, Allen wants to see Dennis-Sutton’s moments of brilliance become the norm: “He showed flashes of it a year ago. But I want to see that consistently because that’s what we need.”
There is a production vacuum with Robinson and Isaac leaving. The dynamic duo combined for 44 1/2 TFLs over the last two seasons. There’s a reason why the Dolphins took Robinson in the first round and the Ravens snagged Isaac on Day 2 of the draft. They were two of the best edge rushers in the class, and replacing them would be a major issue for most programs.
Fortunately for Penn State, Abdul Carter is moving from linebacker to edge rusher to get after the quarterback (and improve his NFL stock). And Dennis-Sutton is doing all the right things to take his game to the next level and become the star many think he can be.
“The biggest thing I’ve seen is the game is slowing down for him,” defensive line coach Deion Barnes said. “He’s starting to understand things he wouldn’t have seen as a freshman or a sophomore. Now, it’s easier to know when things are coming. … His confidence is starting to come out. His football IQ has improved. And he works on what he thinks are his flaws.”
“He’s a guy who cares,” Allen added. “When I first got here, I talked to all the strength coaches, talked to the staff, and his name kept popping up. He holds himself and his teammates accountable. He’s a guy you can count on. And that’s what we need every week.”