I have a feeling if I got you to start reading this column, you might be joining a coalition that will have a “Rally In The Valley” to run me out of town.
That is fair considering Penn State, according to the most recent media guide, has had the most linebackers ever selected in the NFL Draft with 72.
The next closest is USC with 63.
The blasphemy should have me tarred and feathered in one of the many grassy pastures around Beaver Stadium, but let me give you some food for thought.
Since the 2000 NFL Draft, Penn State linebackers (16) edge their defensive lineman (15) counterparts.
My argument isn’t holding much water but let’s look at quality over quantity.
Since 2000, only two Penn State linebackers have been drafted in the first round: LaVar Arrington (2000) and Micah Parsons (2021).
During the same period, eight defensive ends have been drafted in the first round from Penn State. Among those eight, Courtney Brown (2000) and Abdul Carter (2025) were the first defensive players taken off the board.
I am a huge advocate of quality and those numbers are hard to dispute.
Parsons, “Linebacker U’s” most recent prominent export, played most of his 696 snaps last season at defensive end.
It wasn’t a new trend for him.
Parsons’ coverage snaps following his rookie year went from 295 to 76 in 2022, morphing the linebacker to a full time EDGE rusher at defensive end. That trend continued in 2023 where Parsons dropped back just 19 times into coverage.
It’s easy to say the most visible assets in the NFL are coming from defensive end or in the case of Parsons becoming a defensive end.
The next in line is senior Dani Dennis-Sutton.
Dennis-Sutton had the best game in his Penn State career against Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Orange Bowl where he filled the stat sheet with six tackles (4 solo), two sacks, forced fumble and an interception.
PFF College rates Dennis-Sutton as its No. 9 EDGE rusher and he’s second among returning Power Four edge rushers in pressures (75).
I spoke with Dennis-Sutton during Penn State Media Day and he began to reflect on his journey about those who have impacted his game.
“I have a bunch of guys who are successful at the next level, Adisa (Issac), Chop (Robinson), Abdul (Carter), all those guys,” he said. So just taking what I learned from them and applying it.”
Dennis-Sutton was simple in his approach on how to elevate his game from advice he learned from Carter.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.“I think being consistent,” he said. “Both of those guys were consistently good every play. They were gonna win their one on ones, they were gonna get knocked back and they were gonna make a play. So I think just being consistent is what all those guys did.”
I can recall during media availability post game last year when Carter was available, as he was transitioning from a linebacker to a defensive end, what he said he needed to do and the mind set was similar: just be consistent and work every play.
Dennis-Sutton’s position coach, Deion Barnes, has had a front row seat to this recent evolution from Robinson and Isaac to Carter and Dennis-Sutton, he talked about how different each was and made this position the premier position at Penn State.
“They all different players,” he said. “In my mind, Abdul is different than Dani. Dani’s a big, strong guy that can win with his strength and his speed. Abdul was a quick guy that could win with his quickness and his IQ chop. Was a guy that could win with his get off and his bend. I think Abdul and Chop, you could be able to mend more as far as how they compare, but the guys are different as far as his tool sets, but they all have the same type of mindset. As far as I love ball, what I gotta do to get better and trying to be able to dominate in every part of the game.”
As the game evolves, for many Penn State fans they remember the stout Paterno defenses where there were three or even four linebackers and the game was played essentially in a telephone booth.
Modern schemes have spread out offenses to leverage the last grass clipping before the sideline paint. With defenses commanding more athletes to cover space and having elite disruptors on the defensive line is critical, the EDGE position is becoming more paramount and is something Barnes wants that standard to remain amongst his position group.
“It’s a standard for both the defensive ends and the tackles that we live up to,” he said. “As far as elevating we’re going to live to the standard to your question that’s dominating, whether it’s run game or pass game, and that’s gonna be today. We got practice today, and that’s what I’m looking for today, and we’re gonna build from that, live it day by day. So when it’s game time, that’s what y’all see, as far as the show that we put on, but that’s what we do on the build every day.”
