Penn State defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton was still in high school when he sent the post pinned to his X (formerly Twitter) account.
The five-star defensive end was months removed from wrapping up a standout career at the McDonough School in Owings Mills, Maryland, and also months removed from arriving on PSU’s campus since he was a summer enrollee.
Although it’s unconfirmed, there’s a good chance Sutton was in school at 11:03 a.m. March 8, 2022, when he sent out these nine words:
“I will be the best defensive end in CFB.”
I will be the best defensive end in CFB.
— Dani Dennis-Sutton (@thedanidennis) March 8, 2022
Through two seasons, Dennis-Sutton’s prediction hasn’t come true, largely due to the presence of future first-round pick Chop Robinson and fellow NFL rookie Adisa Isaac on the edges.
But there’s also nothing that suggests the prediction can’t come true.
Standing on it… https://t.co/ZO6cAQFSsR
— Dani Dennis-Sutton (@thedanidennis) August 18, 2024
Like most true freshmen, Dennis-Sutton didn’t play much in Year 1, but when he did, he showed signs of dominance, such as a late sack in Penn State’s blowout at Auburn. He built on that in Year 2, with his talent inspiring then-defensive coordinator Manny Diaz to often use three defensive ends on the field at once.
With Robinson and Isaac gone, there won’t be a need for Penn State to present a unique package to get Dennis-Sutton on the field.
He and Abdul Carter— a first-team All-Big Ten linebacker who moved to DE over the winter— are set to terrorize opposing offenses.
From a physical standpoint, the 6-foot-5, 272-pounder has never felt better.
“I’ll say, right now, I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in physically,” Dennis-Sutton told reporters after practice Tuesday.
From a mental standpoint, a key for Dennis-Sutton has been speaking confidently, even if he might not be feeling it on the inside.
“I’ve always spoken it into existence as far as confidence,” he said. “Like I’ve never, even if I might not have been confident internally, just speaking that making that come true.”
Now, he’s feeling it.
“But now, I really am truly confident that I’m going to be the best d-end in the country, he said. “So just doing that on a day-to-day basis in practice, and once you build on that in practice, take that into a game, it’s going to translate pretty much.”
When Dennis-Sutton speaks, everybody can hear.
“He screams,” Penn State LB Tony Rojas said and I feel like that just brings fear into the opponent.”
Another thing that Dennis-Sutton has that makes opponents fear him is size, something defensive coordinator Tom Allen says is “really one of his strengths, without question.”
“He’s a tough matchup on all tight ends in the Big Ten,” Allen said, “and that needs to be the case.”
Allen wants Dennis-Sutton to be somebody opposing teams have a hard time preparing for.
“I want him to be disruptive,” he said. “I want him to be just absolutely a guy that they have to feel like they have to do something to handle schematically to take him out.”
For Allen, a key to Dennis-Sutton fulfilling his prediction is to not be satisfied.
“I think the biggest thing is when you’re older, you want to elevate your game,” he said. “When you have a really good season one year, it doesn’t mean that you just got to do the exact same thing so I can just try to be the same. I want to be willing to be better, and that’s what we’re trying to do is just get to the point where you feel like, hey, you’re progressing as a player. To me, every year you’ve got things you need to work on. And to me, that’s what he has had and that’s what we’ve been focusing on. And to me, I think he’s done a really good job for us as well.I think the bottom line is it’s all about making plays on game day. And that position for us is huge.”
“I want him to be disruptive.”
I asked Penn State DC Tom Allen about DE Dani Dennis-Sutton. Here’s his response. pic.twitter.com/CCBsPAcE7l
— Joe Smeltzer (@joesmeltzer775) August 21, 2024
Dennis-Sutton has no interest in being the same player: his goal is the same as it was more than 29 months ago.
“I think everybody should have that type of mindset like ‘I’m going to be the best player in the country,’” he said. “If you settle for being the third or fourth best, to me, that’s not a dominating mindset. Like, Penn State here, we’re here to be No. 1, we’re here to win the Big Ten, so I don’t think it’s anything surprising. I think Abdul has the same mindset as me.
In a little more than a week, Dennis-Sutton will have his first of at least 12 chances to show how good he is in what, if all goes well, will be his final college season before a big NFL payday.
“I just wanted to, you know, put that (the tweet) out there for myself, have big expectations for myself, and just, I have to prove it now.”
Standing on it… https://t.co/ZO6cAQFSsR
— Dani Dennis-Sutton (@thedanidennis) August 18, 2024
