Penn State Football: Yetur Gross-Matos makes most of chance

A preseason question turned into a strength with Penn State football’s Yetur Gross-Matos took his chance to start and running with it at defensive end.

Penn State football’s defensive line boasted a lot of depth over the last couple years, and it paid off with a step-in star in sophomore Yetur Gross-Matos. The unexpected retirement of Ryan Buchholz left a void in the defense. His size (6-foot-6, 273 pounds) and strength in the trenches would be sorely missed opposite speedy pass rusher Shareef Miller. Instead, Gross-Matos became the unquestioned, all-around star on the defensive line.

It’s not like Gross-Matos didn’t have experience. He played in all 13 games in the 2017 season as a true freshman, so a star-studded career was in line. As a freshman, he was an All-Big Ten performer, rotating in to record 17 tackles, two for loss and 1.5 sacks.

Those number ballooned up in a massive way. Gross-Matos single-handedly shutdown offenses this year. He compiled 54 total tackles, 20 for loss, eight sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. The second-year defensive end didn’t do all that in a few games either. He was consistent, racking up at least 0.5 tackle for loss in 11 of 12 games this season and 2.0 tackles for loss or more in six games. A breakout season earned him All-Big Ten honors from the media and the coaches after the season.

His size (6-foot-5, 259 pounds), speed, range and multiple pass-rush moves have devastated offenses. Whether it’s a swim move, speed rush or just flat-out owning his man with his strength, he dominated the line of scrimmage. His highlights from the season look like he’s a man amongst boys (Video Courtesy of Nittany Nation).

There was a point in the season where he was basically unblockable. I wrote toward the middle of the season about Gross-Matos’ out-of-this-world productive stint from game six-to-eight (Indiana, Iowa and Michigan). In those three contests, he rolled up 23 tackles, 8.5 for loss and 4.5 sacks. Those are respectable numbers in a season, let alone for a three-game stretch in a season.

With one more year on campus, he will be an absolute force along with a defensive line set to return at least seven lineman guaranteed to return and a possible three more if they don’t enter the draft.

There’s no doubt he’ll get All-Big Ten honors again, but it’s a good chance, he’ll earn All-American honors as a junior and be the lead rusher on the outside of the defensive line.