James Franklin addresses defensive end depth behind Chop Robinson, Adisa Isaac

Penn State has no shortage of defensive end talent headlining the unit in 2023. But head coach James Franklin has been impressed with the depth he’s seen in camp.

Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac are comfortably penciled in as the starting defensive ends for the Nittany Lions. From the way Franklin discussed the group, though, it seems Penn State will have plenty of options to get after quarterbacks and set the edge.

“We feel really good about that defensive end room. We’ll see. Obviously this thing will continue and we’ll get a scrimmage opportunity here coming up so I’ll have a better evaluation. But, so far so good. But that also goes to kind of your question about the tackles you mentioned. They’re going against a really good defensive end group in practice every single day,” Franklin said.

The Robinson-Isaac tandem combined for more than 20 tackles for loss and 10 sacks a year ago and barring any health setbacks, should pace the group again.

Franklin highlighted a trio of defensive ends pushing them from further down the roster, though.

Sophomore Dani Dennis-Sutton, a highly-touted recruit in the 2022 signing class, has grabbed Franklin’s attention after a stellar spring. Zuriah Fisher has also caught his eye after recovering from an injury. Lastly, Amin Vanover has impressed Franklin with his improved consistency.

“So Dani, I thought, really from the spring on really has been doing well. He’s big, he’s strong he’s physical. He’s determined. Had a really good freshman year and it’s just kind of continued to build off of that,” Franklin said. “But I think the other guys you bring up, Zuriah Fisher is back. Really 100 percent in terms of how he looks pre-injury and Amin is a guy that’s always flashed tremendous potential and is doing it on a more consistent basis right now,” Franklin said.

Franklin is excited to watch Robinson cut it loose in 2023

Franklin was complimentary of Robinson’s development over his time with the Nittany Lions, specifically this offseason, during a press conference on Thursday. He said that he is expecting a breakout from the junior defensive end considering how his body has changed and how well he is currently doing as a member of their program.

“He’s just so much bigger, stronger, and more explosive, both in the run game and the pass game,” Franklin said. “He’s playing really well, he’s confident. How we used him last year was different than how he’d been used before. He’s doing really well academically. He’s really thriving right now and I’m really proud of him. I think he’s going to have a huge year.”