is a Nittany Sorts Now series profiling each Penn State football player. In this edition, we’ll profile third-year DT Davon Townley Jr.
Height: 6-foot-6
Weight: 267 pounds
Hometown: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Before Penn State: Townley was a two-time all-conference performer at Minneapolis’ North Community High School. Townley didn’t play high school football until his junior year, but by the time he graduated, he was a four-star recruit and the No. 3 recruit in Minnesota from his class according to 247Sports and the No. 2 player according to Rivals. Townley was also a star basketball player for North Community, averaging 17.5 points and 9.4 rebounds his junior season. Townley committed and signed with Penn State on National Signing Day in February 2021.
2021: Townley redshirted his freshman season and didn’t appear in any games.
2022: Townley played in seven of Penn State’s 13 games, making his first tackle Oct. 23 in the team’a White Out win over Townley’s state school, Minnesota. He ended the season with three tackles.
Entering/exiting the portal: Less than two weeks after Penn State’s 2022 regular season ended, Townley entered the transfer portal. The next month, after Penn State ended its regular season with a Rose Bowl win over Utah, Townley withdrew from the portal, returning to Penn State.
Where he stands: Defensive tackle is arguably the biggest question mark Penn State has coming into 2023. The team’s lost the heart and soul of its defensive line, with new-Bronco PJ Mustipher using his last season of eligibility in 2022. Players like Hakeem Beamon, Coziah Izzard, Dvon Ellies and Old Dominion transfer Alonzo Ford all have promise, but the interior of Penn State’s line is lacking an established star. It’s unlikely that Townley will be a starter in 2023, but his size and potential makes him an intriguing depth piece.
A quote by Townley: “They never stopped recruiting me. The opportunity to play in the Big Ten and play at a major program like Penn State, it was too great of an opportunity to pass up.” — Townley to Rivals.com after he signed with Penn State.
A quote about Townley: “He’s a guy that gave me fits throughout the year sometimes. He’s strong off the edge. He’s got a good bull rush, good with his hands. He can really do whatever he wants to do.” — OL Drew Shelton on Townley at the team’s second-year player media availability in February.
