James Franklin says key Penn State defender will be a game-time decision against Ohio State
The Ohio State Buckeyes will be guessing as to the game-time status of two key Penn State players on Saturday. While quarterback Drew Allar has not been given a full green light as he comes off a lower-body injury, defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton is facing a similar outlook. Both could play, but it's possible that […]
The Ohio State Buckeyes will be guessing as to the game-time status of two key Penn State players on Saturday. While quarterback Drew Allar has not been given a full green light as he comes off a lower-body injury, defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton is facing a similar outlook. Both could play, but it's possible that neither will finish the game.
Penn State head coach James Franklin issued a statement on Dennis-Sutton earlier this week, but it's hard to parse through the coach speak. For example, Franklin has been resilient in answering questions about what exactly star safety Kevin Winston is dealing with, only referring to it as a "long term injury." That's not helpful.
On Monday, Ohio State was left with this to chew on as they prepare for Abdul Carter and Dennis-Sutton.
“Dani will have the ability to play in this game,” Franklin said. “He’s played a ton of football. He’s super mature. He’s very intelligent. He’s thoughtful, hard-working. He’s been in the training room the last two days. Every time I’ve gone down there, he’s down there.
We’ll go right up to the game time to see kind of where we’re at with things. If he’s able to go, he’ll go. But if not, we have a ton of confidence in those other guys.”
The other individuals include seasoned backups Amin Vanover and Smith Vilbert, along with true freshman Max Granville, all of whom received praise from Franklin on Monday.
However, Dennis-Sutton stands out as a remarkable player. The formidable 6-foot-5, 266-pound edge rusher has accumulated 21 quarterback pressures—11 hits, eight hurries, and two sacks—placing him tied for seventh in the Big Ten.
There's a clear reason why Dennis-Sutton has rarely left the field this season, as he's recorded 261 defensive snaps, the seventh-highest on the team. His numbers would likely be even greater if he hadn’t played limited minutes in the second half against Wisconsin.
He suffered what appeared to be a lower-body injury in the second quarter and received attention from trainers. Although he attempted to return in the second half, he only lasted one snap before exiting.
Franklin and the Penn State team are eager to have Dennis-Sutton available for their game against the Buckeyes, especially given the challenges Ohio State's offensive line faced in a close victory over Nebraska this past weekend.
We'll see if Dennis-Sutton can suit up when Penn State faces off against Ohio State in this high-stakes top-five matchup.
