Why Chop Robinson is projected as a first round pick heading into Penn State’s 2023 season

In our look at depth for the Nittany Lions heading into the 2023 season, we’ve wrapped up the offensive side of the ball — examining everyone from Drew Allar to Nick Dawkins and everyone in between — and now head to the defense.

We’ll start with what could be one of the most dynamic, and game-changing, groups on the Penn State roster next season.

Here’s a look at Penn State’s defensive ends.

Projected starters: Junior Chop Robinson and redshirt senior Adisa Isaac

This one is pretty clear cut right now. Robinson and Isaac are at the top of the depth chart and for good reason. They bring a combination of athleticism, experience and upside that gives Penn State’s defense its best chance to wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks. And frankly, that’s what these two should be doing on a game to game basis. The Nittany Lions are excellent at defensive end right now, having a group of players who could legitimately be game wreckers at the position. While Isaac started last year, it’s actually Robinson who gives Penn State its best chance of doing that.

The junior defensive end will be a full-time starter this year after playing like the best defensive end on the team in 2022. He’s an explosive edge rusher, displaying the type of first step and athleticism that can ruin an offensive tackle’s week. He gets off the line of scrimmage before anyone else on the line, getting his hands into tackles and ripping past them with a rip move or any of the other pass rush techniques he uses. He’s already being projected as a first round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft but I think there’s reason to believe he could wind up being a top-10 pick. Part of that is because the positional value of an elite pass rusher, and the other part is his ability to be a dominant force against any level of competition. Robinson is competitive against the run and a positive asset for the Nittany Lions, but make not mistake about it, he’s one of the best pass rushers in the country and will put that on display this fall.

Isaac is a more interesting case. He’s a high level athlete who missed 2021 due to a torn Achilles, but came back last year and looked more like his old self by the end of the season. He doesn’t have the same first step as Robinson, but he still has the speed to get by pass rushers. He uses his length well to keep tackles from getting to his chest and stopping him, and does a good job of countering when his initial pass rush stalls out. The 6-foot-4, 254-pound defensive end has the ability to play with physicality when he needs to and can be an important piece in the running game. His length and strength allows him to stack linemen and shed blocks to make a play against the run, and that was especially evident when Penn State had space-eating defensive tackles next to him. He and Robinson are no-doubt starters this year and should find themselves on some all-conference teams by the end of the season.

Key backups: Sophomore Dani Dennis-Sutton and redshirt junior Amin Vanover

It’s a testament to how good Robinson and Isaac are that Dennis-Sutton enters the year as a backup. He’s not the only contributor coming off the bench either, with Vanover having a chance to take a big step forward in his development. There’s enough depth at Penn State that some other players — like Zuriah Fisher — aren’t in the two-deep right now despite being more than capable of contributing to a Big Ten title contender. That being said, Fisher should still rotate in at time and get snaps, but Dennis-Sutton and Vanover are the top backups right now.

The former is the higher upside prospect and would be starting for plenty of teams in the country heading into his second college campaign. He had three sacks as a freshman and showed why he was a five-star recruit coming out of high school. He’s a force at 6-foot-5, 258 pounds with the athletic ability and strength to impose his will on offensive tackles. He can bull rush with his powerful hands overtaking linemen and driving them back with his strong lower body. His length and athleticism is top notch and he’s well-refined for a player just over a year away from his last high school class. I feel confident saying Dennis-Sutton will be a great college football player and will be an early NFL draft pick down the road.

Vanover is more versatile as a defensive lineman, possessing the size and length to kick inside on pass rushing downs when he can pin his ears back and take advantage of interior offensive linemen who can’t handle him. Frankly, I thought he would have moved to defensive tackle because his frame points to someone who would add the size necessary to play on the interior, but he’s maintained his weight around 266 pounds and has stayed on the outside. He’s a solid pass rusher who can help in the running games and is at his best when he’s an ancillary piece who can come in and contribute in short spurts. While he’s not likely to take over any of the top three spots, he’s still an important role player on the 2023 defense.

Freshman to watch: True freshman Jameial Lyons

Lyons has excellent upside as a defensive end for the Nittany Lions. He’s got an excellent build at 6-foot-5, 242 pounds and has good athleticism, but he’s still raw for the position. He’ll need to work on winning with technique and execution rather than just athleticism as he did in high school, but he’s the type of player that could win in multiple ways down the road. To start, he’s a good enough athlete to use it as a major strength and will eventually pair it with the hand work and moves necessary to beat offensive linemen around the edge. Eventually he should be able to add a power rush — one that will be effective at the Big Ten level — to his repertoire because he has the frame to play at 265+ pounds down the road and not lose his quickness.

While he’s not going to contribute early in his career because of the players above him on the depth chart, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Lyons have a role next season and be a full-time starter down the road.