Penn State Defensive Ends Hitting Their Stride Late in Fall Camp

Following a complete offseason overhaul, Penn State’s defensive end room has been somewhat of a question mark entering 2026.

Head coach Matt Campbell himself admitted he was nervous about the unit’s ability to generate consistent pressure a week ago, but some strong recent practices have changed his outlook.

“I think defensively, you feel like there was great growth last week where winning on first down gives you real ability to get to pass rushing situations,” Campbell said Tuesday. “And I thought that group had a really great week last week.”

The room includes seven returning Nittany Lions — none of whom have starting experience — two transfers, a freshman and a converted linebacker. Campbell described the group as a “collection” of players with “unique” skill sets. 

“They can slide inside; they can play outside,” Campbell said. “There’s a lot of different things those guys can do, and I think that’s been the really cool thing about not slowing up in terms of installation and continuing to press forward.”

Campbell brought in defensive line coach Ikaika Malloe this offseason, pairing him with edge rushers coach Christian Smith. In the past, Penn State hasn’t had a designated coach for the defensive ends.

According to redshirt sophomore Max Granville, one of the players Campbell highlighted for his improvement throughout camp, the difference has paid dividends.

“The main thing is (Smith) is able to just coach from the top to the bottom of the room,” Granville said. “He can coach everybody up pretty in-depth, versus last year, Deion (Barnes) was just juggling so many things, and I really appreciate him, but it’s just harder on the coach if you have to balance ends and D tackles. So I think it helps the coaches and the players.”

Iowa State transfer and projected starter Ikenna Ezeogu described Granville as quiet off the field but explosive on it, bringing good hand placement, quick feet and good balance to the table.

For Ezeogu, his personal growth has come from homing in on “the little things.”

“Obviously I’m not all the way there yet, but as we continue to keep going with these practices, I continue to find little things in my game that I need to tweak and just get better,” Ezeogu said.

Specifically, he wants to work on his hands, striking offensive linemen and locking out his arms. He got a chance to practice the last two Saturdays during team scrimmages in Beaver Stadium, experiences he expressed high gratitude for.

Another player who’s potentially flying under the radar is redshirt freshman Dayshaun Burnett. Ezeogu said he’s “shocking the whole defensive line” with his play throughout fall camp, and Granville echoed that sentiment.

“He’s come a long, long way, and I’m just so, so proud,” Granville said. “He’s had some really, really good practices coming off of the scrimmage too. He just looks like a great player. He’s grown so much in the run game. He’s looking really good on pass rushing, and he’s continuing to put on weight as well.”

Burnett is currently listed at 6-foot-3 and 226 pounds on the team’s online roster, making him the second-lightest defensive lineman on the team ahead of only LaVar Arrington II (220 pounds). With the coaching staff placing an emphasis on size in the trenches, Burnett will likely need to pack on more mass before seeing the field, but the potential is there.

Another player likely to contribute this fall is sophomore Yvan Kemajou, who will push to start after a strong 2025 campaign. Kemajou specialized as a pass rusher last season, recording a pressure on one of every 12 dropbacks.

Blending an assortment of players and coaches can be difficult, but Ezeogu said the group has clicked this offseason.

“The chemistry’s been good, man,” Ezeogu said. “I mean, honestly, everybody’s been locked in since the beginning of this. We all know what goal we want to achieve, and everybody just continues to double down on what we need to do to allow ourselves to be the best D-line in this conference.”