Penn State Football: 3 most impactful newcomers for 2022 season

2. Demeioun Robinson, DE

Penn State’s new defensive coordinator Manny Diaz needed to fill in some holes on his roster. Defensive end Arnold Ebiketie is off to the NFL, a key loss for the Lions on the front four. Looking for depth, Diaz and James Franklin found some in Maryland transfer Demeioun Robinson.

The 6-foot-4, 250-pound Maryland native played in all 13 of the Terps’ games a year ago, accumulating 19 tackles including two sacks. Getting to the quarterback will be a point of emphasis for Diaz’s defense. A year ago the Nittany Lions recorded only 27 sacks. Outside of Ebiketie who produced 9.5 of them, no other Lion had more than three.

Robinson primarily played linebacker while at Maryland and is versatile enough to play both linebacker and edge rusher. Diaz could use him in a hybrid role similar to now Arizona Cardinal Jesse Luketa last season. Both positions are in need of depth.

Robinson leaned on his previous relationship with Franklin and his staff as he was recruited by Penn State for the 2021 cycle. He was a top 100 recruit in the country per 247Sports. He entered the portal in late March of this year and decided on Happy Valley as his next destination just a few weeks later.

While Penn State did not land him originally, they will most certainly benefit from his services now. Along the edge will be Adisa Isaac, returning from injury, and five-star true freshman Dani Dennis-Sutton. Robinson is sure to get plenty of reps and with Diaz’s aggressive defensive style, could find himself often in opposing backfields.