dani dennis-sutton

Previously: PSU Offense 

In comparison to the Penn State offense, the defense that we will cover today is fearsome. They are 4th in SP+ defense and have held opponents to just 11.89 points per game this season, third best in the NCAA. Star players with NFL interest are apparent across the depth chart. How scared should we be?

The Film: Like every B1G team, Penn State has mostly faced garbage offenses, limiting our options here. The best three choices are Maryland, West Virginia, and Ohio State, one of which is a vastly better offense than the others. The Buckeye offense may not be as good as it once was, but they are still by far the best offense of those three, so like in the previous piece, we're rolling with the OSU-PSU tape. 

Personnel: Click for big. 

Much of the success for the PSU defense this season has come from the dominant play of its defensive line, especially at the EDGE position, where the production has largely been sterling. Hype has been given most prominently to Chop Robinson, the fearsome passrusher with 1st round NFL Draft attention. Robinson got hurt against OSU but may be set to return this weekend against Michigan. The Nittanys haven't been much worse off without Robinson thanks to the development of EDGE defenders Dani Dennis-Sutton, a former 5*, and Adisa Isaac, a 5th year player who I previously didn't think much of but who has made a nice leap this season. Against all non-OSU teams, these three players have feasted and wrecked OL after OL. They met more of a challenge in the Shoe, but still had some success. 

The defensive tackle spot was a bit of a relative weakness last season for Penn State, which I think is still probably true but they have had one player emerge in Zane Durant. He's a star in my and PFF's view, the first at that position for PSU since PJ Mustipher years ago. The other players next to Durant are just guys and potential vulnerabilities, Hakeem Beamon, Dvon Ellies, and (especially) Coziah Izzard, the lone player to get a cyan on our diagram. Ohio State did have some success running up the middle against some of these players and we will dig into that as we go. 

PSU usually plays in a 4-2-5, meaning there are two traditional ILBs, but sometimes they do slink into a 4-3. Curtis Jacobs and Abdul Carter are the starters, rock solid players but a little below star caliber to me. Carter is the better pass-rusher of the two, used often as a blitzer by DC Manny Diaz, while Jacobs also rushes a decent amount. Tackling and coverage dock them a bit and keep them below getting the star, but I like both players. Neither backup is bad either, Tyler Elsdon and Kobe King. King is the much more used backup and can slide in seamlessly without much notice. 

At corner, the performance of the much hyped Kalen King is something that will be discussed in this piece. I was incredibly high on King coming into the season, but he has put up lackluster PFF grades and to put it plainly, he was terrible against Ohio State. His shield has been taken away, though he is still in the first round of some NFL mock drafts. The corner opposite King, replacing Joey Porter Jr., is Johnny Dixon and he's been excellent this season. The same could be said for nickel Daequan Hardy. Both Hardy and Dixon showed out against Ohio State and earned my respect. PSU rides the three starters hard at corner, but Cam Miller is the next man up at the position. 

The safeties are SS Jaylen Reed (not to be confused with the ex-MSU WR Jayden Reed) and at FS either Keaton Ellis or Kevin Winston Jr.. All of these players have been pretty good this year, a bit below star caliber but certainly not a weak spot. Zakee Wheatley is the fourth safety and he's in the same bucket in terms of performance. Safety is not the strength of the defense, but far from a weak spot. There aren't too many of those on this unit. 

[AFTER THE JUMP: they defend]