3 transfers Penn State football must sign to make the College Football Playoff

STATE COLLEGE, PA - OCTOBER 28: Donaven McCulley #1 of the Indiana Hoosiers celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown against the Penn State Nittany Lions during the first half at Beaver Stadium on October 28, 2023 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

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Sep 23, 2023; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Duke Blue Devils defensive tackle Aeneas Peebles (16) reacts after sacking UConn Huskies quarterback Ta’Quan Roberson (6) (not pictured) in the second quarter at Rentschler Field at Pratt & Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /

Roster construction isn’t just about plugging holes or fixing weaknesses, it’s also about building on strengths. Penn State had the best pressure rate and most sacks in the country this season. Manny Diaz’s defense is losing Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac, the team’s top two edge rushers, but Dani Dennis-Sutton, Amin Vanover, and Zuriah Fisher are ready to slot into those spots.

On the interior, Penn State is losing Hakeem Beamon but has Zane Durant and Coziah Izzard returning. The interior defensive line isn’t necessarily a position of need, but generating pressure from the defensive line is. Peebles will do just that.

Peebles is fifth among all interior defensive linemen in pass-rush win rate at 15.3% and finished the year 20th in pressures with 27.

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