Penn State has the potential for one of the best defensive end groups in the country this season, and Zuriah Fisher is part of the reason why.
Even with Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac gone to the NFL, Penn State has a lot coming back at DE.
Dani Dennis-Sutton has the makings of a first-round pick, as does Abdul Carter, a first-team All-Big Ten linebacker who moved to DE over the winter.
Penn State also has Amin Vanover, who has impressed over the past two season, and Jameial Lyons, who impressed Penn State’s players and coaches as a true freshman.
Fisher is a WPIAL product who’s overcome adversity over his four seasons at Penn State. He’s the latest subject of All 105, a Nittany Sports Now series profiling each Penn State football player.
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 254 pounds
Hometown: Aliquippa, Pennsylvania
Before Penn State: Fisher came to Penn State after a successful run at the Pittsburgh area’s famous Aliquippa High School. Fisher helped the Quips to a state title as a junior in 2018. The next season, he was a team captain and made it to Mr. PA Football’s Tremendous 25 team. He ended his career at Aliquippa with 115 tackles and was one of the WPIAL’s most coveted recruits. The four-star committed to Penn State in Sept. 2019.
2020: Fisher played in one game during the COVID-themed campaign.
2021: Fisher played in eight of Penn State’s 13 games, ending the year with four tackles (two solo), getting his first tackle under the Beaver Stadium lights against Indiana Oct. 2. Fisher was named to the Big Ten’s All Academic team at the end of the year.
2022: Fisher’s season almost never existed due to an injury suffered during spring camp. But Fisher got on the field in 2022, making his season debut against Maryland at Beaver Stadium Nov. 12. and making a tackle.
Last year: Fisher played in all 13 games, ending the season with 17 tackles (11 solo), a fumble recovery, 3.5 sacks and a quarterback hurry. Pro Football Focus gave him a solid pass-rush grade of 71.9.
Where he stands: Had Penn State kept Carter at linebacker, Fisher would likely be competing with Vanover to start opposite Dennis-Sutton. Even with Carter being the likely starter, Fisher and Vanover should each see a solid amount of playing time, especially if new defensive coordinator Tom Allen uses three-DE sets the way his predecessor, Manny Diaz, did.
A quote about Fisher: ”I’m a big Zuriah Fisher fan. As you mentioned, we recruited him as a linebacker and tight end, shows up here, we always kind of thought he had a chance to grow into a defensive end. He already had the size, we made that change kind of with his blessing and support, and he really started to do some great things.
Then he gets an injury, a fairly significant injury, misses some time for that, and he just kind of continues to chip away at it and continues to get better and better and better, both mentally and physically in terms of understanding how to play defensive line. It was new to him, understanding the scheme, and he just; he’s one of those guys, to me, that’s a really good example for a lot of guys in the locker room. He’s one of those guys that’s just getting, one percent better, one percent better, one percent better, and it maybe doesn’t jump out at you dramatically, but he just continues to get better, and now he’s making plays for us and doing his job. I think he’s got a really bright future here at Penn State and then after that.
To me, he’s what everybody is looking for at defensive end. He’s got the ability to be disruptive. He’s got the size. He’s got the length. He’s got the athleticism. He’s had a smile on his face really since he’s got here. He’s had some personal adversity and challenges and setbacks, probably more so than most, and just continues to find ways to be successful. I’m really proud of him, and I think you’ll see him continue to have a good year this year, and I think that’s going to springboard him into really good things in his future.” — James Franklin on Fisher at a weekly press conference last October.
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