Yesterday, I pointed out that the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year has primarily been an Ohio State quarterback award as of late, with the outliers being Marvin Harrison Jr., who played wide receiver for the Buckeyes, and Dillon Gabriel of Oregon (last season). The Defensive Player of the Year award is an entirely different conversation, as several schools are represented.
2024: Abdul Carter, Penn State
2023: Jer’Zahn Newton, Illinois
2022: Jack Campbell, Iowa
2021: Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan
2020: Daviyon Nixon, Iowa
2019: Chase Young, Ohio State
2018: Devin Bush, Michigan
2017: Josey Jewell, Iowa
2016: Jabrill Peppers, Michigan
2015: Carl Nassib, Penn State
Peppers is the only player in the last decade who spent time in the secondary and won the award. Helping his case was the fact that he played all over the field in a hybrid role. So, to the many talented defensive backs that play in the B1G, don’t get your hopes up.
Defensive linemen and linebackers have dominated this award as of late. Due to that, I view this award as a two-man race between Penn State’s Dani Dennis-Simmons and Oregon’s Matayo Uiagalelei.
Last season, Uiagalelei had the better numbers of the two. He recorded 38 tackles (24 solo), along with 10.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and one interception. Taking a glance at the award winner list dating back to 2015, only Nassib (15.5), Young (16.5), Hutchinson (14), and Carter (12) finished with more. However, Uialagelei’s total tackles are less than any award winner in that span. His ability to log takeaways could help his case during the upcoming season if he can finish with double-digit sacks again and increase his total tackles.
Meanwhile, Dennis-Sutton aims to build off a breakout three-game stretch in last season’s College Football Playoff. He totaled 42 tackles (24 solo), 8.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and an interception last season. In the opening round of the CFP, he logged four tackles and 1.5 sacks. In the Fiesta Bowl against Boise State, he finished with six tackles and a sack. In a season-ending defeat in the Orange Bowl, he totaled six tackles with two sacks, a forced fumble, and an interception.
Suddenly, you see the allure.
ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg recently provided two quotes about the Penn State star, both of which say plenty about Dennis-Sutton’s upside.
“He’s never going to be Abdul (Carter) and he’s not that kind of guy, but he can be a very intimidating and dominating presence,” an anonymous Big Ten coordinator told Rittenberg. “So I would expect him to kind of take where he left off the season because he was playing at a really high level in the playoffs.”
Meanwhile, Jim Knowles, formerly of Ohio State, now in his first year with Penn State, offered high praise as well.
“He has things that he wants to prove, and he’s a very driven individual,” Knowles said to ESPN. “Super talented, very confident, plays with a demeanor that you want from one of your stars on defense, the guys look up to him. You need a stop, you need to get somebody to make a play, you know he’s going to do it, he’s not going to back down.”
Prediction:
If it isn’t obvious yet, my prediction is that Dennis-Sutton will build off last season’s final three games and become a wrecking ball over the course of many upcoming Saturdays, en route to the Defensive Player of the Year award. While Abdul Carter is no longer around to command most of the attention from offensive lines, Penn State’s offense could help Dennis-Sutton if it can live up to expectations. The Nittany Lions pouring on points would force foes into more obvious passing situations, giving Dennis-Sutton opportunities to rack up sacks.