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Penn State aiming to build long-term depth at DT

By Audrey Snyder/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 8 years ago

James Franklin said Penn State’s number of scholarship defensive tackles was “out of whack” during a coaches caravan stop in May. 

The Penn State coach said future depth at defensive tackle was a need for the program and Tuesday night three-star defensive tackle Michael Dwumfour helped the team begin to fill that need with his verbal commitment to the Nittany Lions. Dwumfour, who plays for DePaul Catholic in Wayne, N.J., is the 12th player in the 2016 class to give Penn State a verbal pledge and is the first defensive tackle of the group. 

Dwumfour camped at Penn State on Sunday and picked up a scholarship offer the same day. Pitt was also on his list of finalists and he holds an offer from West Virginia as well. Perhaps his close relationship with big-time defensive tackle Rashan Gary, a five-star prospect, will pay dividends for Penn State down the road?

Defensive tackle will be one of Penn State’s deepest positions this season with Anthony Zettel and Austin Johnson anchoring a defensive line that looks to not miss a beat with two new starters at defensive end. Senior Tarow Barney and redshirt sophomore Parker Cothren will contribute as well. Antoine White, who redshirted last season as a freshman, will be in the mix as well. Incoming freshman Robert Windsor, a three-star prospect from Fond Du Lac, WI, arrives this weekend along with the rest of the 2015 class. Where Windsor ends up longterm at Penn State remains to be seen. 

Penn State will be without Zettel and Barney following this season and possibly Johnson too if he opts to declare for the NFL Draft. That would leave Cothren, White, Windsor and Dwumfour as the team’s lone scholarship defensive tackles. A lot can happen between now and then, but picking up a verbal commitment from Dwumfour helps round out another need, making him the second player to help do so this week. Penn State picked up a verbal commitment from punter Blake Gillikin on Sunday, another member of the 2016 class. 

Audrey Snyder: asnyder@post-gazette.com and Twitter: @audsnyder4