These players will replace Penn State stars headed to the NFL in 2024
By Josh Yourish
Defensive front replacements
EDGE: Chop Robinson - Dani Dennis-Sutton
The former five-star played over 100 more snaps than Robinson last year, but that came with three additional games. Dennis-Sutton posted 30 total pressures and five sacks to Robinson’s 26 and three, but this isn’t necessarily an upgrade.
As a sophomore, Dennis-Sutton posted a pass-rush win rate of 15.9% compared to Robinson’s 20.9% which was second highest among Nittany Lions with at least 100 pass-rushing snaps. Dennis-Sutton will form an excellent pass-rushing duo with Abdul Carter in 2024.
EDGE: Adisa Isaac - Abdul Carter
That’s right Abdul Carter is now an edge rusher. The change was denoted on Penn State’s roster for 2024 as the player who led the team in snaps lined up in the box as an off-ball linebacker in 2023 has transitioned to full-time pass rusher.
Carter is also the best pass-rusher on the team, posting a pass-rush win rate of 24.8% over 112 pass-rush snaps, and on true pass sets, he won at a 30% clip. Carter generated 28 total pressures and six sacks, and at 6-foot-3 250 pounds, he has excellent size for the position.
LB: Curtis Jacobs - Tony Rojas
If new defensive coordinator Tom Allen and James Franklin didn’t have total faith in their young linebackers then Abdul Carter would not be moving to the edge. Dominic DeLuca will be back to take snaps at off-ball linebacker and so will Kobe King, but it feels like Rojas, the former 2023 four-star will grab a starting spot in his sophomore season.
Rojas played 122 total snaps across 10 games as a true freshman and finished with 21 tackles and one interception. At 6-foot-2 225 pounds, Rojas is quick enough to play in the slot occasionally, which he did for 16 snaps last year. Jacobs played 105 snaps in the slot.