2025 SEASON: Started all 13 games and registered 42 tackles (26 solo), 12 tackles for a loss, 8½ sacks (tied career high), eight QB hurries, three forced fumbles, three passes defensed and three blocked punts…Tied a single-season school record (Ham in 1968, Collins in 1989) with the three blocked punts, which also led the nation in 2025…Earned third-team All-Big Ten recognition from the coaches and the media…Was named to the Bednarik Award Watch List in the preseason…Vs. Nevada (Aug. 30): Recorded five tackles (four solo), 2½ tackles for a loss, a sack, two forced fumbles and a pass defensed. Became the first Nittany Lion to force multiple fumbles in a game since Micah Parsons in the 2019 Cotton Bowl…Vs. FIU (Sept. 6): Registered four tackles (all solo), two tackles for a loss, two QB hurries and a sack…Vs. Oregon (Sept. 25): Finished with a career-high seven tackles (three solo)…At UCLA (Oct. 4): Posted three tackles (two solo), including one for a loss of 2 yards, and his first career blocked punt. Midway through the third quarter, blocked a Will Karoll punt that was recovered by WR Liam Clifford at the UCLA 6-yard line and returned for a TD…Vs. Northwestern (Oct. 11): Recorded four tackles (two solo) along with a blocked punt, becoming the first Nittany Lion since Collins (1989) to block a punt in back-to-back games. Blocked a Luke Akers punt on Northwestern's opening drive that went out of bounds and gave the Nittany Lions the ball at the Northwestern 31…At Ohio State (Nov. 1): Posted a solo tackle and a forced fumble…At Michigan State (Nov. 15): Registered two sacks and blocked his third punt of the season, earning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance...Vs. Clemson (Dec. 27): Recorded four tackles (two solo) and two sacks, tying the single-game Pinstripe Bowl record for sacks and tying for No. 2 in school history for the most sacks in a bowl game.
2024 SEASON: Appeared in all 16 games with 14 starts, finishing with 42 tackles (24 solo), a career-high 13 tackles for a loss, a career-best 8½ sacks, a career-high nine QB hurries, two forced fumble, a fumble recovery, an interception and four passes defensed…Finished tied for No. 5 in the Big Ten in tackles for a loss and tied for No. 6 in sacks…Earned All-Big Ten honorable mention from the media…At West Virginia (Aug. 31): Posted a solo tackle and a pass defensed along with a fourth-quarter fumble recovery…At Southern California (Oct. 12): Matched his career high with six tackles (four solo), including two tackles for a loss…Vs. Maryland (Nov. 30): Registered three tackles (all solo) and a sack…Vs. SMU (Dec. 21): Recorded four tackles (one solo) and 1½ sacks and was named the Defensive Player of the Game by the coaching staff for his performance…Vs. Boise State (Dec. 31): Tied his career high with six tackles (three solo), including a season-best 2½ tackles for a loss in the Fiesta Bowl in the CFP quarterfinals...Vs. Notre Dame (Jan. 9): Matched his career high with six tackles (four solo) and posted two sacks in the Orange Bowl in the CFP semifinals, forcing a fumble on a strip-sack of QB Steve Angeli in the second quarter. Picked off a QB Riley Leonard pass in the fourth quarter at the Notre Dame 39.
2023 SEASON: Played in all 13 games with three starts, recording 26 tackles (17 solo), six tackles for a loss, 3½ sacks, two QB hurries, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and a pass defensed…Earned third-team All-Big Ten honors from the coaches and honorable mention from the media…Vs. Iowa (Sept. 23): Forced the first fumble of his collegiate career in the first quarter, one that was recovered by LB Curtis Jacobs at the Penn State 18...At Northwestern (Sept. 30): Registered three tackles (two solo), 1½ tackles for a loss and a sack…Vs. Indiana (Oct. 28): Posted a season-high six tackles (four solo) and forced a fumble on his sack of QB Brendan Sorsby that went out of bounds in the end zone for a safety in the fourth quarter…Vs. Michigan (Nov. 11): Recorded three tackles (all solo), two tackles for a loss and a sack, bringing down QB J.J. McCarthy for a 10-yard loss on third down on Michigan's opening drive to force a punt.
2022 SEASON: Appeared in all 13 games as a true freshman, posting 17 tackles (11 solo), 3½ tackles for a loss, three sacks, three QB hurries and an INT…Was named to the All-True Freshman team by ESPN.com…At Auburn (Sept. 17): Recorded the first sack of his collegiate career when he brought down QB Robby Ashford for a 4-yard loss in the fourth quarter...Vs. Central Michigan (Sept. 24): Posted a season-high two sacks and a pass defensed with the sacks coming over a four-play span in the fourth quarter…At Indiana (Nov. 5): Registered three tackles (one solo) and the first INT of his collegiate career when he picked off QB Dexter Williams II in the third quarter at the Penn State 16 and returned it 20 yards.
HIGH SCHOOL: Was a four-time letterman and a two-time team captain at McDonogh High School (Owings Hills, Md.)…Was selected to play in the 2022 All-American Bowl and the Polynesian Bowl…Missed part of his senior season due to injury and saw his junior campaign canceled due to COVID-19…Registered 40 tackles (21 solo), six sacks and two forced fumbles as a sophomore, helping guide McDonogh to an 11-1 record and a runner-up finish in the Maryland A Conference…Also lettered in basketball and track and field, participating in the 100-meter and 200-meter events as well as the 4x100 relay…Was on the honor roll all four years of high school.
PERSONAL: Given name Dani Deshon Dennis-Sutton…First name is pronounced duh-NYE…Born in Millsboro, Del. ...His mother, Tishon Dennis, played softball at Morgan State...His cousin, Alton Dennis, played tight end at Delaware...In 2024, visited the Dominican Republic with teammates from Penn State to distribute hundreds of pairs of shoes to kids through a partnership with Soles4Souls...Volunteered at the Dagsboro (Del.) Boys & Girls Club while he was in college...Read to elementary-school students in State College, Pa. ...Spoke to students as part of an after-school program at Laurel (Del.) High School.
