Penn State Football Impact Freshman: DE Shane Simmons

Shane Simmons could make a quick impact for the Nittany Lions in 2017.

Penn State has several new players joining the fold this season who could make major impacts right away. One of those players is defensive end Shane Simmons. The redshirt freshman will get an opportunity to play a big role on Penn State’s defensive line in 2017.

With the graduation of Even Schwan, and the decision by Garrett Sickels to head to the NFL Draft, Penn State heads into the new season missing both starting defensive ends from a year ago.

Torrence Brown, who appeared in every game last year and made four official starts, should have an inside track to one of the starting end spots. Shareef Miller and Ryan Buchholz both received valuable playing time in 2016 and will likely compete for a starting job on the other side.

However, even if he doesn’t get named a starter right away, Simmons should compete for time in the rotation and could have a big impact.

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Simmons entered Happy Valley with a lot of hype after signing as part of the 2016 recruiting class. He was ranked as the No. 41 recruit according to 247Sports and was a four-star prospect. He was also rated as the No. 4 weak-side defensive end in the nation and the top recruit in his home state of Maryland.

Coming out of DeMatha Catholic, he was considered one of the top high school defensive players available. During his senior season he recorded 82 total tackles with 16 sacks and 23 tackles for loss.

Standing at six-foot-three, 240 pounds, Simmons has good size to play end in college. Due to his redshirt he’s had an extra year to grow and develop.

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Simons has a lot of potential and talent. He will fit nicely into defensive line coach Sean Spencer’s rotation and should have ample opportunities in 2017 to show off his skills as a redshirt freshman.

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