Penn State has been churning out defensive end prospects for the NFL like Willy Wonka does with candy bars. After sending another two to the NFL this year in [autotag]Jesse Luketa[/autotag] and [autotag]Arnold Ebiketie[/autotag] it was expected that [autotag]Zuriah Fisher[/autotag] would earn meaningful reps this fall, but fate had other plans.
It was first reported by Lions 247 that Fisher injured his knee during spring practices. It was followed up with a report from Blue White Illustrated stating it is feared to be a serious knee injury. While the exact injury has yet to be revealed it is feared that he will miss most if not all of the year. Audrey Snyder of The Athletic later confirmed the injury is a season-ending injury.
Can confirm @Lions247 report that PSU DE Zuriah Fisher will miss the season due to an undisclosed injury. Was expected to compete for reps behind Adisa Isaac, Nick Tarburton & Smith Vilbert.
Strength coach Chuck Losey said last mth Fisher made "outstanding growth" this winter.
— Audrey Snyder (@audsnyder4) April 14, 2022
Knee injuries are very hit and miss in terms of how long recovery can take. We have seen even the worst type like ACL tears have much quicker turnarounds than was ever thought before.
Fisher was entering his third year on campus after committing to Penn State back in 2020, and he was expected to compete for a meaningful, maybe even a starting role. He was an Academic All-Big Ten selection in 2021 and earned significant playing time against a talented Arkansas squad in the Outback Bowl. He would have two tackles and be a part of a defense that was attempting to keep the Razorback offense in check.
This injury will result in more players stepping up, some young ones at that, but this further amplifies how big it was for [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and his staff to grab Demeioun Robinson from Maryland out of the transfer portal. Robinson was already expected to have a big role on the defensive line, amplifying that even more so now.
This also will have a big impact on next week’s Blue-White Game. [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] will be sure to have a big rotation of guys on the defensive front, so look for someone to separate themselves then.
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