Penn State freshmen growing up on Nittany Lions' defensive line

When Penn State defensive tackle PJ Mustipher speaks, it’s hard not to listen. That goes for anyone around him, really. The fifth-year senior can command a huddle or a meeting toom just the same. So when he seeks out young teammates like freshmen defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton and defensive tackle Zane Durant, they listen as well.

After all, Mustipher was in a similar situation to both back in 2018. The rare true freshman to play on the interior of the defensive line, Mustipher went from a Top 100 recruit to the Beaver Stadium turf just a few months after arriving on campus, appearing in 12 games for the Nittany Lions. He was supposed to be off to the NFL by the time Durant and Dennis-Sutton arrived, but a knee injury in 2021 meant that he would stick around to share his wisdom for one more year. 

Both have already gone past the four-game threshold that would determine a redshirt year and Penn State is hoping to have each contribute down the stretch in their first season. 

“When you have that in-game experience, it’s like dog years,” Mustipher reflected on Wednesday evening. “It’s not just regular time. It starts to move pretty quickly. They’ve done a tremendous job of not only getting the in-game experience, but learning in return from that each and every week, also in practice, too. They’re talented man. Every time I look up on the Jumbotron, or I’m watching them on the sideline, they’re doing great things. They just going to keep on going out there and doing what they’re doing. No need to change that now.”

Former five-star Dennis-Sutton stepping up for Penn State

While both are rotational pieces, Dennis-Sutton jumped to the team lead the team in sacks with three through five games. Durant, who is still visibly undersized for the interior at 6-1, 276-pounds, has played in all five games as well. The Nittany Lions coaching staff has seen improvement from both in recent weeks. 

“You have to take a step back and realize these are two young guys playing as true freshmen in the Big Ten. And right now, they don’t look out of place,” Penn State Defensive Coordinator Manny Diaz said on Thursday. “So that’s been really encouraging. We’re excited that they’re part of us. We think their potential going forward is really unlimited.”

Like Mustipher, Dennis-Sutton came to Penn State from McDonogh High School in Maryland. The school does not allow for January enrollment, but a football-first mindset has led to an increasing role in his first season. 

“He’s just focused on his craft. He loves football,” Mustipher said of Dennis-Sutton, who arrived early in the summer. “You can tell he’s all ball. Nothing else in his life really matters other than football. Academics, of course, but the way he approaches every day, I can see that look in his eyes that he wants to be great. This journey is a long journey, but I know if he continues that mindset, he’s gonna have a ton of success as he’s already had. So his approach is something I’ve never seen from a defensive lineman coming in right away. He’s much more mature beyond his years, and he’ll only get better.”

Durant carving out a role with the Nittany Lions

Durant, on the other hand, arrived from Lake Nona High School outside of Orlando back in January. He got the attention of the staff with a terrific offseason and while his adjustment to playing in the Big Ten was always going to be a big one, he has cracked the back end of a deep defensive tackle rotation.

“He’s done a phenomenal job,” Mustipher said of Durant. “Just like Dani, he’s all ball. He loves football. Playing defensive tackle early is extremely hard and being able to play at a high level is extremely hard because I know I went through it. Coming in, I thought it was gonna be a simple adjustment I had to make, but understanding what you’re getting, the formations, different things like that, it’s much more easier said than done. 

“He’s playing right now. He’s doing a great job. But he’s only just going to get better and he has to understand it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon and he realizes that. But for me, I just try to take him under my wing, show him how I’m doing things. His time is now, his time is also coming for him to do great things. So I’m proud of him and he’s just gonna keep getting better.”  

Penn State will travel to Michigan for a meeting of top 10 teams on Saturday. The game will kick off at noon and be broadcast on FOX.