Three Penn State defenders were named first-team All-Big Ten Tuesday afternoon.
Defense.
Defense.
Defense.🫣🫣🫣#WeAre pic.twitter.com/UfXdWruKCn
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) November 28, 2023
EDGE Chop Robinson was a unanimous selection in both the coaches and media polls.
Fellow EDGE Adisa Isaac was named first-team in the media poll and second-team in the coaches.
LB Abdul Carter was a first-teamer in the coaches poll and a second-teamer in the media.
Robinson has been excellent for Penn State since transferring in from Maryland before the 2022 season. He ended this year with 7.5 tackles for loss and four sacks, forcing two fumbles and recovering one and also hurrying the quarterback 16 times.
Isaac led Penn State in tackles for loss (15) and sacks (7.5). Carter led the team in tackles with 47 and had eight TFL, also picking up 2.5 sacks, breaking up four passes and intercepting one.
In total, 13 Penn State defenders made it to one of the three All-Big Ten teams. Cornerback Kalen King was a unanimous second-team selection. Defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton was a third-teamer in the coaches poll and an honorable mention in the media poll, as were cornerbacks Johnny Dixon and Daequan Hardy. Linebacker Kobe King and safeties Jaylen Reed and Kevin Winston Jr. were both unanimous honorable mentions. Defensive tackles Zane Durant and Dvon Ellies were honorable mentions in the media poll, and linebacker Curtis Jacobs was one in the coaches poll. It was quite a showing overall.
Penn State ended its 10-2 season with the No. 1 total defense in the country. Despite that, second-year coordinator Manny Diaz’s wasn’t named one of the five finalists for the Broyles Award, presented annually to the nation’s top assistant coach.
Nonetheless, the greatness of this year’s Penn State defense can’t be denied.
