Penn State defensive line coach Deion Barnes encouraged Dani Dennis-Sutton throughout the offseason to get off to a hot start and to continue the momentum he built in three College Football Playoff games.

Done deal.

Dennis-Sutton has been disruptive and one of the main reasons why the Nittany Lions first-team defense hasn’t allowed a touchdown.

“I think I’m off to a good start so far,” Dennis-Sutton said Tuesday. “I think I’ve been doing pretty well so far. Obviously I can get a lot better.”

That’s a scary thought for Penn State opponents. Dennis-Sutton is tied with linebacker Tony Rojas for the team lead in sacks and tackles for loss. He also has a team-high two forced fumbles, two pass breakups and four quarterback hurries.

He’ll be counted on to pressure quarterback Dante Moore when the third-ranked Lions (0-0 Big Ten, 3-0) face No. 6 Oregon (1-0, 4-0) in their annual White Out Game Saturday night at 7:30 (TV-NBC) at Beaver Stadium.

“Dani Dennis-Sutton is one of the better defensive edge players in the league and in the nation,” Ducks coach Dan Lanning said this week.

Penn State defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton: “It’s my last White Out. I’m excited, man. I think Saturday’s going to be a lot of fun.” (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)

Dennis-Sutton has thrived under new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, who has given him freedom to choose where he lines up and what he will do on select plays.

“Coach Knowles does a great job of letting us play free, especially the D-line,” Dennis-Sutton said. “I’m a believer in the D-line not thinking too much. Let us get to the quarterback and stop the run and we’re going to make plays.

“This is an NFL defense. Things are a little bit more complex on certain plays. In the first three games we sort of got the wrinkles out. Now we just continue to grow. It’s been a lot of fun.”

Dennis-Sutton finished last season in dominating fashion, registering 16 tackles, six tackles for loss, four sacks, a forced fumble and an interception in CFP games against SMU, Boise State and Notre Dame.

Knowles was the defensive coordinator at Ohio State last season and didn’t see much of Dennis-Sutton, who suffered an injury the week before at Wisconsin that limited him for six games, including the Big Ten title game against Oregon.

Two weeks later against SMU, it was clear that Dennis-Sutton was back at full strength.

“With Dani and today’s offenses, people are going to try to put him in conflict in the run game and chip him in the pass game,” Knowles said. “We work hard on getting things schemed up to allow him to be aggressive and put him in those one-on-one situations.”

At times, Dennis-Sutton has lined up next to Zane Durant, one of the best defensive tackles in the Big Ten, to force offenses to pick their poison. Durant also is off to a strong start.

“It’s fun playing with great players,” Dennis-Sutton said. “You sort of work off each other. That’s what me and Zane do pretty well. When we’re rushing, stopping the run or doing whatever, we know where each other is going to be.

“It’s always fun to play with other people who are dogs. That’s like my brother. I love playing with him.”

Penn State, not surprisingly, ranks among the national leaders in tackles for loss (tied for third) and sacks (tied for 16th). Oregon has allowed just one sack and 11 tackles for loss, ranking among the national leaders in both categories.

Last year in the Big Ten title game, the Lions sacked Dillon Gabriel once in a 45-37 loss to Oregon.

“We’ve done a decent job,” Dennis-Sutton said of Penn State’s pass rush this season. “As a D-line, our standard is if we’re not getting pressure or a sack, it’s not good enough no matter how quick the ball comes out.

“Saturday’s going to be huge. If we don’t affect the quarterback, they have some power at the wide receiver positions. The D-line and the corners have to work together to stop this pass game.”

Dennis-Sutton’s playing time was limited against Washington last year in the White Out Game because of his injury. It’s part of the reason why he has great anticipation for this one.

“It’s my last White Out,” he said. “I’m excited, man. I think Saturday’s going to be a lot of fun.”

https://www.mcall.com/2025/09/23/penn-states-dani-dennis-sutton-keeps-disrupting-opposing-offenses/