Penn State may go by the nickname of Linebacker-U, but the defensive line has established a tradition of its own of sustained success up front. And the 2024 season looks to keep that tradition going with one of the best defensive line units in the Big Ten, if not the nation.
College football analyst Phil Steele ranked what he believes to be the top 25 defensive line units (subscription required) in the nation heading into the 2024 season, and Penn State is ranked right near the top of the list. Penn State has the nation’s no. 2 defensive line unit in the 2024 college football season according to Steele. The only team ranked ahead of Penn State is Big Ten foe Ohio State.
Penn State looks to be in excellent shape with the defensive line this season, as this ranking would suggest. Dani Dennis-Sutton is expected to easily move into a bigger role on the edge this season and the middle of the line will be plugged by a combination of Dvon J-Thomas, Amin Vanover, and Zane Durant. But the biggest development for the defensive line is the move of Abdul Carter to edge from the linebacker position.
Penn State took arguably its best defensive player out of the linebacker spot to hopefully get more out of him on the edge this season. The move is not one that would be made without confidence in what Penn State has to offer at linebacker but is expected to yield better results from Carter. Carter’s athleticism and burst should be evident off the edge against opposing offensive linemen and will likely better prepare him for the next level as he is going to be used more like Micah Parsons in the NFL, fittingly enough.
Other Big Ten teams with a top 25 defensive line according to Steele in 2024 include Michigan (no. 4), Nebraska (no. 5), Iowa (no. 13), Oregon (no. 23), and Indiana (no. 24). Of the Big Ten teams with a top 25 defensive line, Penn State will only have to face the Buckeyes (at home on Nov. 2) this season.
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