PSU's defensive line will be led by Dani Dennis-Sutton and Zane Durant but the Lions must develop depth during preseason practices.
Penn State offensive lineman Cooper Cousins snaps to quarterback Drew Allar during practice in Holuba Hall on April 1, 2025. Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.comreferring to the Lions returning cast and a veteran coaching staff led by offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki and defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.
Below are a couple of potential problem areas for the Lions, a trio of position battles to watch and an interesting quote from a veteran Penn State defender.The Lions front four will be led by a pair of fourth-year seniors, interior lineman Zane Durant and edge rusherDurant compiled 11 tackles for loss, three sacks and four quarterback hurries in 2024. But the Lions are replacing All-American endand tackles Dvon J-Thomas and Coziah Izzard. Penn State will also be without promising second-year edge rusher Max Granville, who is out with a long-term injury. Franklin said last week the Lions are counting on redshirt senior Alonzo Ford and redshirt freshman Xavier Gilliam at tackle and added redshirt sophomore Ty Blanding and redshirt freshman Owen Wafle could could also contend for rotation spots inside. On the outside, Penn State will pair redshirt senior Zuriah Fisher with Dennis-Sutton, who totaled 13 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks and nine quarterback hurries. The Lions added veteran edge rusher Enai White via the transfer portal, andPenn State defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton throws West Virginia’s Jahiem White to the ground during the third quarter. Aug. 31, 2024. Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.comBut Penn State is replacing starting right guard Sal Wormley and gifted dual-threat backup quarterback Beau Pribula is now a Missouri Tiger. Plus, who will be the No. 3 running back behind Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen?The list of options for the third running back spot include redshirt sophomore Cam Wallace, redshirt freshmen Corey Smith and Quinton Martin Jr. and January enrollee Tikey Hayes.Dennis-Sutton and Durant up front, junior Tony Rojas and veteran North Carolina Amare Campbell at linebacker and a secondary that feature juniors A.J. Harris, Zion Tracy and Elliot Washington and redshirt junior Audavion Collins at corner and redshirt senior Zakee Wheatley, sophomore Dejuan Lane and junior King Mack at safety.Wheatley, who has appeared in 41 games the last three seasons, was recently asked if the 2025 defense is the fastest one he’s played on. “That’s a tough question. I’ve been part of some great defenses,” said Wheatley, who finished third on the Lions in tackles last season with 96. “But I will say that this offseason, with Chuck Losey, the speed, I’ll definitely say we have a very, very fast team.If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation.and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our
Penn-State-Football James-Franklin Drew-Allar Dani-Dennis-Sutton Zane-Durant Zakee-Wheatley Ethan-Grunkemeyer Kaytron-Allen Nick-Singleton Cooper-Cousins Tj-Shanahan Section:/Pennstatefootball
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Penn State basketball earns 1st commitment in 2026 class from in-state programThe Nittany Lions kicked off the next recruiting cycle with a player from a familiar program.
Read more »
Penn State Sports Watch: This Week's Top Nittany Lions StoriesMiss any Penn State sports news? We've got you linked with the most intriguing Nittany Lions stories of the week.
Read more »
Utah State tabs former Penn State athletic director to interim roleKSL.com BYU and college sports reporter
Read more »
Former Penn State Athletics VP Sandy Barbour named interim athletic director at Utah StateSandy Barbour, former vice president for intercollegiate athletics at Penn State University, has been appointed interim athletic director at Utah State Universi
Read more »
Ohio State Picked to Finish Second Behind Penn State in Unofficial Big Ten Preseason PollOhio State is picked to finish second behind Penn State in the Big Ten in 2025, according to a poll of 54 media members who cover the conference or college football nationally.
Read more »
Penn State Football: What we Learned About the Nittany Lions at Big Ten Media DaysPenn State coach James Franklin made headlines again. He also talked about his team. Inside the 2025 Nittany Lions.
Read more »