All 105 is a Nittany Sorts Now series profiling each Penn State football player. In this edition, we will be taking a look at redshirt junior defensive end Adisa Isaac.
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 254 pounds
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
Before Penn State: Isaac was a team captain in three of his four seasons at Canarsie High School.
After his senior season— which ended with Isaac posting 25 sacks, 88 tackles and 34 tackles for loss— USAToday named Isaac to its All-USA New York Team, and the National Football Foundation named him its 2018 New York City Mr. Football.
A consensus four-star recruit and the consensus top-ranked player in New York from the 2019 class, Isaac committed and signed with Penn State on Early Signing Day in 2018.
2019: Isaac appeared in 11 of Penn State’s 13 games, making his college debut on opening day against Idaho.
2020: Isaac played in all nine of Penn State’s games, ending the year with 13 total tackles, 1.5 sacks and a pair of quarterback hurries.
2021: Isaac missed the entire season with an injury.
2022: Isaac bounced back from injury to become an All-Big Ten performer. He ended the season with 28 tackles (15 solo), a team-leading 11 tackles for loss, eight quarterback hurries and four sacks.
Where he stands: Last season, there were a lot of questions about Isaac because of his injury that caused him to miss all of 2021. Not so coming into 2023. Barring something unforeseen, Isaac and Chop Robinson will be a formidable EDGE tandem for Penn State.
A quote by Isaac: “I feel that God has put me here to take care of my mom, my brothers and my sisters. It’s eye-opening, for sure, to see my place in this family and my place on earth. I’m here for a reason. There’s no way I’m here just to be here.” — Isaac to reporters ahead of the Rose Bowl
A quote about Isaac: “The same way I’ll speak to Adisa, I’ll speak to his siblings. ‘Go get that. Go do that. Come here. No!’ It wasn’t like ‘oh don’t do that because you’re disabled.’ No, try it. Challenge yourself.” — Isaac’s mother, Lisa Wiltshire Isaac.
