CFB Zeitgeist Score
89
All-Conference in the position cohort. Carried by sacks at the 99th percentile.
Dani Dennis-Sutton
Below the discourse floor — the honest stats-only state.
42 TACKLES · 7.5 SACKS
Where He Ended Up · NFL
Green Bay2026 NFL rookie season
#120Rd 4 · Pick 20
Green Bay2026 NFL rookie season
DE · PENN STATE · BIG TEN
Dani Dennis-Sutton
- 4
- #33
- 6-5 | 265 lb
- Millsboro, DE
Heisman Heat
#4665
<1% win probability
Fan Belief
Awaiting
Player-specific FI not yet ingested. Falls back to team mood below.
Respect Gap
Awaiting
Coming online with player-level FI.
Reality Gap
Awaiting
Coming online with player-level FI.
ACCOLADE PROBABILITY
Heisman
<1%
TOP DEFENSE AWARD
Nagurski
—
CONSENSUS
All-American
—
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 2 · StarterR07 · Impact starter
Impact starter. Producing measurable value above replacement.
Not on team2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career arc · Season-by-season Standing
3 seasons on the ladder
2022
Penn State · DE
—
★
2023
Penn State · DE
R09 · All-Conference HM / 2nd team
Recognized
2025
Penn State · DE
R09 · All-Conference HM / 2nd team
Recognized
NFL Draft 2026 · Rd 4, Pick 20 · #120 overall · Green Bay
Career Arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★★
CFB
College
Penn State
NFL
NFL Draft
R4 · #120
Identity & Role
The durable bio layer: position, size, hometown, and roster role.
Recruiting Pedigree
How big the prospect was before college, and whether the later career arc beat that expectation.
| Class | Profile | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 5-star | 0.9869 | No. 29 recruit | HighSchool | Penn State |
Transfer Arc
Portal movement changes role, context, and perception. This keeps that path in one place.
| Season | Move | Context |
|---|---|---|
| No transfer portal moves on file for this player. | ||
Heisman Lens · 2024 Season · Final
Where the player landed at the end of the listed season — final nowcast rank, win/finalist/ballot probabilities, and the cleanest official Heisman placement on file.
HIGH CONFIDENCE· through week 16Heisman Futures
Not yet listed on major futures markets.
No achievements unlocked yet this season.
Selector Grid · 2025
AP—
FWAA—
AFCA—
WCFF—
SN—
SI—
NIL · Recruiting · NFL Draft
Market value, pedigree & pro outcome
Recruit stars
★★★★★
to Penn State
Composite
0.9869
#29 national
NFL Draft
2026 · Rd 4, Pick 20
#120 overall · Green Bay
Today’s Hot-Take
The Hot-Take engine fires when this player’s percentile profile crosses a defensible threshold (top 10% in a cohort, 100+ snap sample). When it’s quiet, the model is honoring its “must be defensible” rule.
Anti-Take
PENDINGThe contrarian read fires when the rules-engine detects a stat that complicates the Hot-Take. Quiet here means the model hasn’t found a defensible counter yet — not that one doesn’t exist.
The Room on Dani Dennis-Sutton
Fan sentiment · Awaiting signal
The Room reads fan conversation around a player — who’s talking, what they believe, and how that shifts. It publishes once weekly volume rebuilds; for most players that’s in-season, when game-week chatter spikes.
Cohort divergence map
Cohort divergence reads how different fanbases talk about this player. Returns once weekly mentions clear the publish floor.
Rival Radar
How rival fanbases talk about Dani Dennis-Sutton
No rival-bucket mentions in the current season.
Signature Story
Awaiting candidate metric
He hasn't written his page yet — we'll start filling it in when there are enough snaps to rank against his peers.
Signature Moment
No signature moment on the ledger yet.
Returns once this player puts together a multi-game body of work — single-game flashes alone don't clear the bar.
Season Pace · Projection
Where the defensive totals stand
Through 13g
42Tackles
12Tackles for loss
7.5Sacks
Per game
3Tackles
0.9Tackles for loss
0.6Sacks
Final
42Tackles
12Tackles for loss
7.5Sacks
✓ Hit 6-sack season · finished with 7.5.
Why this is a rare defensive case
The fast read on the thing that makes this player more than a generic stat line.
Dani Dennis-Sutton is trying to climb the steepest award hill in college football: a defensive candidacy. The hook is the disruption profile on Penn State's defense, with 7.5 sacks, 12.0 tackles for loss, and -- interceptions through the current loaded season. For a defender, the question is never just production; it is whether elite disruption and team context can become nationally undeniable.
2025 Season · Final
Traditional stats first. Advanced context underneath.
Last season
DEF season snapshot
2025 season snapshot | final
2025 season snapshot | finalData: CFBD player stats + local Heisman modelPeer context: same position + same level
Player identity What kind of player is this?
30-second read
What kind of player is this?
High-disruption defender | High-volume tackler against FBS defenders.
2025 Season · Final
2025 season snapshot | final
Tackling & Disruption
TOT
42 83rd
SOLO
26 85th
TFL
12.0 99th
SACK
7.5 99th
QBH
8 98th
Coverage & Takeaways
PD
3 76th
Game Log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 13 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 46-11vs Nevada | 5 | 4 | 2.5 | 1.0 | — | 1 | 2 sacks |
| Wk 2 | W 34-0vs Florida International | 4 | 4 | 2.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 52-6vs Villanova | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 5 | L 24-30vs Oregon | 7 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 7 tackles |
| Wk 6 | L 37-42@ UCLA | 3 | 2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 7 | L 21-22vs Northwestern | 4 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 8 | L 24-25@ Iowa | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 10 | L 14-38@ Ohio State | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 11 | L 24-27vs Indiana | 4 | 2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 12 | W 28-10@ Michigan State | 2 | 2 | 2.0 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 2 sacks |
| Wk 13 | W 37-10vs Nebraska | 3 | 2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 14 | W 40-36@ Rutgers | 4 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 | — | 0 | |
| Bowl | W 22-10@ Clemson | 4 | 2 | 2.0 | 2.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 42 | 26 | 12.0 | 7.5 | — | 3 |
Season-by-season tables Career rows + per-season box score
Traditional history
Traditional Stats
Season rows up top, career context at the bottom.
Season context · Team result + system
2022Penn State11-2HC: James Franklin · Run-leaning
2023Penn State10-3HC: James Franklin · Run-leaning
2025Penn State7-6HC: James Franklin · Run-leaning
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Penn State | 42 | 26 | 12.0 | 7.5 | 3 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Penn State | 26 | 17 | 6.0 | 3.5 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2022 | Penn State | 16 | 10 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 1 | 1 | -- |
| Career | 3 loaded seasons | 84 | 53 | 21.5 | 14.0 | 5 | 1 | -- |
Advanced layer Usage, value, and context
Advanced metrics second
Advanced Metrics
Usage, value, and opponent-adjusted context.
TFL, sacks, and QB hurries are grouped together because defensive Heisman cases are usually built on visible havoc, not on tackle counts alone.
Pass breakups, interceptions, and forced fumbles matter because national awards voters respond to plays that change possessions and highlight reels.
Every percentile is compared against players at the same position and level, so an FBS quarterback is judged against FBS quarterbacks, not the whole sport.
The top tables stick to the stats fans already know from broadcasts and box scores. Advanced context is pushed underneath instead of replacing the basics.
Open full stat explorer
| Group | Metric | Value | Rank | Pct | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defense | Total tackles | 42 | #834/4942 | 83rd pct | Volumevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | TFL | 12.0 | #51/4972 | 99th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Sacks | 7.5 | #34/4972 | 99th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Pass breakups | 3 | #521/2184 | 76th pct | Coveragevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | QB hurries | 8 | #41/1878 | 98th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Solo tackles | 26 | #696/4584 | 85th pct | Volumevs FBS DEF |
Player Standing
Universal 17-step ladder. Tier pills below; accolade streams nested.
ALL-CONF HM
On-team2-deepStartingRecognizedEliteApex
ALL-CONF HM · Rung 9 of 16
Why he’s here
All-Conference honorable mention / 2nd team — the recognition has started.
What moves him up
A best-at-position run lifts to 1st team.
What moves him down
A back-end conference finish drops out of the honor list.
Accolade streams
Status—Awaiting tracker
The Lombardi award tracker integrates per-week probability once a dedicated scraper for this award lands. Confirmed past winners and finalists for this player will surface here.
Splits · Per-game
2025 season · 13 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home7g | 3.9 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Road6g | 2.5 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.0 |
Win vs Loss
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wins7g | 3.1 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 0.4 |
| Losses6g | 3.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-77g | 3.9 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.3 |
| Weeks 8+6g | 2.5 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.2 |
Pocket and defense-quality (clean vs. pressure) splits are coming soon.
Savant · Box-rate percentiles
Where this profile ranks vs the DE cohort
89All-Conference
Elite: sacks (98th). Strength: qb hurries (98th).
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Advanced Savant · DE · 2024
Percentile Card
Advanced opponent-adjusted percentile bars are coming soon for this player.
P4G5All FBS
Advanced Savant
Opponent-adjusted advanced metrics with a cohort filter.
Advanced opponent-adjusted metrics are coming soon for this player. Selected cohort: P4.
Peer Comparator · Fingerprint match
Three closest profiles by box-rate percentile
Dani Dennis-SuttonPenn StateJohn MillerUtah State· 87% simRasheem BilesPittsburgh· 86% simCade UluaveCalifornia· 85% sim
Sacks
QB hurries
Tackles for loss
Passes defended
Solo tackles
Tackles
Closest peers by overall box-score percentile profile at the same position.
Player DNA
The Power Rusher
Bull-rushes through contact and sets a hard edge against the run.
EDGE
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Jimari Butler’s 2023 season.
Jimari Butler
88%match
#2
Jermaine Johnson
83%
#3
Princely Umanmielen
NFL Rd 3 · Pk 13
81%
#4
Tavion Woodard
81%
#5
Jack Sawyer
NFL Rd 4
81%
Matches Jimari on
Weight
Sack rate
Height
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Princely Umanmielen's senior season at Florida (2023).
Princely Umanmielen
89%match
NFL Rd 3 · Pk 13
#2
Nate Matlack
83%
#3
Jason Vaughn
76%
#4
Nate Clifton
74%
#5
Trey Moore
All-AACNFL Rd 4
74%
Matches Princely on
Class year
Height
TFL rate
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
James Franklin
Pass share
42.0%
339 pass / 469 run
Plays / game
62.2
13 games
OL sack rate (allowed)
7.4%
230 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Coaching Lineage · 2022–2025
1 coach2022
James Franklin
Penn State
2023
James Franklin
Penn State
2025
James Franklin
Penn State
Played his entire career under James Franklin.
Bio · Recruiting · Transfer · Roster
Off-field context — switch tabs to drill into recruit profile, transfer arc, or roster timeline.
HometownMillsboro, DE
Height6'5"
Weight265 lb
Class4
PositionDE
Jersey33
No fields populated yet.
No fields populated yet.
Current teamPenn State
ConferenceBig Ten
Joined2025
Career arc4 season(s)
Trophy Case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🎖
ALL-CONFERENCE
All-Conf mention (2025)
All-Big Ten
Trophy Case · Detail
Every honor on the ledger, broken out by stream and selector.
2 all-conference honors
Conference-level recognition helps anchor whether a player is merely statistically loud or actually viewed as elite within his competitive lane.
Honors Timeline
Season-end distinction and week-by-week recognition on one timeline.
| Season | Honor | Scope | Team / Selector | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | All-Big Ten | all_conference | Penn State | Big Ten | DE |
| 2023 | All-Big Ten | all_conference | Penn State | Big Ten | DL |
Heisman By Year
Modeled rank and official finish by season.
| Season | Team | Role | Latest Model | Forecast | Win | Finalist | Official Finish | Points | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Penn State | DE4 | #4665 | #4372 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W16 snapshot | Big Ten |
| 2023 | Penn State | DE4 | #2306 | #2524 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W19 snapshot | Big Ten |
| 2022 | Penn State | DE4 | #3157 | #3337 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W20 snapshot | Big Ten |
Roster Timeline
Team, conference, and class by season.
| Season | Team | Conference | Pos | Class | Bio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Penn State | Big Ten | DE | 4 | No. 33 | 6-5 | 265 lb | Millsboro, DE |
| 2024 | Penn State | Big Ten | DE | 4 | No. 33 | 6-5 | 265 lb | Millsboro, DE |
| 2023 | Penn State | Big Ten | DE | 4 | No. 33 | 6-5 | 265 lb | Millsboro, DE |
| 2022 | Penn State | Big Ten | DE | 4 | No. 33 | 6-5 | 265 lb | Millsboro, DE |