'He's ready to take over' for Penn State football: Defenders on the rise for 2024

ATLANTA − They are the future of Penn State football's No. 1-ranked defense − even if it's taken longer than expected to truly make their mark.

It's a good bet that future will start Saturday, in some form or fashion, against Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Look to Tony Rojas at linebacker. To Dani Dennis-Sutton, Amin Vanover and Zuriah Fisher at defensive end.

They have bided their time through injury and loaded position groups but are finally ready to begin starring for the Nittany Lion defense that led the nation in sacks and total yards allowed.

Several NFL-bound defenders will play Saturday but will see limited duty in order to help protect them against wear and tear and injury.

That will open the door at linebacker, and for Rojas, in particular. The true freshman appeared poised to make a significant instant impact this past season. That just never quite materialized, in part, because the Lions relied on an experienced, five-man rotation.

No matter that Rojas looked physically ready to compete in the Big Ten as 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds. Or that he led the team with nine tackles and a pass break-up in April's Blue-White Game.

He mostly served only as a special teamer and late-game backup in 2023. He played in all 12 regular-season games but was credited with just 16 tackles.

"I’ve seen a lot of growth through his ups and downs," said linebacker Curtis Jacobs, one of those Lions who may play only sparingly against Ole Miss.

"I felt like it’s been really good for him to develop this year; that’s something I wish I had a little more of my freshman year. I just feel like he’s ready to take over. He plays fast all the time. I just think he’s ready to take that next step."

Penn State football rising defenders: Tony Rojas to Dani Dennis-Sutton

Rojas is finally ready to shine because of his “instincts, the kind of instincts that come from preparation," Jacobs said. "I feel like that’s where he’s grown so much in his game. ... Now I see how he prepares and how he’s seeing things on film and attacking it in practice. I feel like the Maryland game was a really big indicator of that. He spent all week attacking that and deep-diving into his preparation and he was able to make two incredible plays because of it.

"I see him becoming a big-time player at Penn State."

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In the blowout victory over the Terps in early November, Rojas made his first career interception, returning it 20 yards. He also forced the first fumble of his career.

Two weeks later he hit career-highs with four tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss against Rutgers. He figures to star in 2024 alongside Kobe King and All-America candidate Abdul Carter.

It's been an even longer wait for defensive ends Vanover and Fisher.

Vanover, an extra-long pass rusher at 6-foot-4 and 266 pounds, played sparingly while learning during his first three years on campus. He seemed prepared to take on a larger role in 2023 until an undisclosed leg injury at Ohio Sate nearly ruined his season.

He's back now. On Thursday, senior defensive tackle Dvon Ellies called him the most underrated player on the defense.

"He’s definitely put on a show for a lot of people, these last couple of weeks especially," Ellies said. "He’s just been on a roll. He’s been Mr. Consistent. His technique has been tremendous. I just don’t think he get enough attention ...."

Meanwhile, Fisher's career was temporarily delayed by a knee injury that all but wiped out his 2022 season. He returned late to play in two games, making a pair of tackles.

He flashed more as a backup this season but was stuck behind All-American Chop Robinson and All-Big Ten Adisa Isaac − both now leaving for the NFL.

"Those are two guys with twitchy, great technique," Isaac said, describing Vanover and Fisher. "Amin is probably not the fastest, but he’s very sound in what he does. He has big, powerful hands. So he's a guy who’s not going to jump off the screen with his explosiveness, but he’s going to get (into the backfield) with relentlessness and that aggression."

They should battle for a 2024 starting spot opposite of Dennis-Sutton.

Penn State's edge rusher group was so loaded this past year that Dennis-Sutton, a former five-star prospect, earned his only two starts when Robinson was injured.

Still, he was named third-team All-Big Ten for his six tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

Dennis-Sutton also, finally, will be in the spotlight, too, during his third year on campus.

First, he figures to star on Saturday against Ole Miss. He'll take Robinson's spot, who has opted out of the game.

"He's a guy that when he catches fire, he catches fire," Isaac said of Dennis-Sutton. "And it can be real scary how quick he can rack up sacks and be disruptive."

Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at  fbodani@ydr.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Penn State football in the Peach Bowl: Tony Rojas, rising star in 2024