Latest news with #DefensivePlayeroftheGame
Indianapolis Star
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Top 25 Player Profile, DL Zane Durant
Zane Durant may have gone under the radar at the start of his Penn State career. Now, he is quickly becoming a household name in State College. Earning a starting spot last year on the interior D-line, Durant stood out in a defense loaded with talent. If his 2025 is similar, he could be one NFL scouts will be clamoring over come next April. Here is how Zane Durant's 2025 campaign could look and what it could mean for his NFL draft prospects. In a defense that included stars edge rushers Abdul Carter and Dani Dennis-Sutton, Zane Durant somehow stood out as a third option doing his work on the interior. The 6-1, 294 pounder had his best season yet, with 42 tackles, 22 of which were solo, 11 TFLs, three sacks and a pass breakup to boot. Most impressively, he earned the coaching staff's Defensive Player of the Game three separate times, something hard to do with two other stars to contend with. Most importantly though, he gave Penn State a fearsome presence to help shore up their run defense aboth Carter and Dennis-Sutton took care of business off the edge. In 2025, with no Abdul Carter, the pressure is on for Durant to wreak even more havoc up the middle. With the jaw-dropping traits requisite to match a player of DDS' caliber, look for Durant to be on the interior what Dennis-Sutton is on the edge. No Carter should be no problem with Durant at his all-time best. What can Durant do for an encore? In a career year, he proved he could play off of two stars and benefit from their success. This year has a wholly different tenor to it however, without Carter's presence. Dani Dennis-Sutton will no double continue to be the star that he is, but can Durant follow suit? The traits: the first step quickness, the explosive movement in a more undersized frame, the impressive motor from the first to fourth quarter: are all there. He must show he can hold out on his own though. There's a reason why he hadn't been able to carve out an immediate role in this squad, and that's his lack of length and somewhat limited pass rush arsenal. Now that Carter's gone, he can't rely on pressure being generated from both sides. He must create his own. Whether or not he can do it remains to be seen, but will be a crucial factor in his growth as a player and how NFL scouts could view him. Durant simply complements Dennis-Sutton and ultimately proves that he can continuously generate pressure by himself. While he's not the No.1 guy in the front seven, expectations will almost certainly be heightened due to Carter's absence. Every Penn State fan knows what they are getting from Dennis-Sutton, but don't know if Durant can hold up on his own. He truly is a legitimate player with high upside once he gets to the NFL. How he handles a bigger role will be paramount. Most importantly, there may be sometimes where an opposing scheme is more tailored towards Durant's style of disruption. He must show that he can execute that sort of game plan while also being complementary to the depth around him. Overall, Durant does not have to be the second coming of Abdul Carter and he does not need to be. He is his own player with his own style. He must use that style effectively though to continue to have success and build his resume. Zane Durant fails to have the same presence on the interior as he did last year, and Penn State gets outmatched in the run game because of it. The Big Ten is certainly tailored towards thriving passing attacks, but there are some squads who can gut you up the middle. Minnesota with Darius Taylor and Washington with both Jonah Coleman and Adam Mohammed come to mind. If Durant is not up to par, teams will take advantage of him more often. There will be many more situations where Durant is isolated in space and could be one of the first and last lines of defense. Thus, there are a number of opportunities that could see Durant have to be up to task. If he can't provide energy and efficiency stopping the run game, it could be a detriment to the whole squad and could lead to some shocking upset losses. It is critical that Durant is locked in, or else a potential strength for the Nittany Lions could become one of their biggest weaknesses.
USA Today
21-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Top 25 Player Profile, DL Zane Durant
Zane Durant may have gone under the radar at the start of his Penn State career. Now, he is quickly becoming a household name in State College. Earning a starting spot last year on the interior D-line, Durant stood out in a defense loaded with talent. If his 2025 is similar, he could be one NFL scouts will be clamoring over come next April. Here is how Zane Durant's 2025 campaign could look and what it could mean for his NFL draft prospects. 2024 in Review In a defense that included stars edge rushers Abdul Carter and Dani Dennis-Sutton, Zane Durant somehow stood out as a third option doing his work on the interior. The 6-1, 294 pounder had his best season yet, with 42 tackles, 22 of which were solo, 11 TFLs, three sacks and a pass breakup to boot. Most impressively, he earned the coaching staff's Defensive Player of the Game three separate times, something hard to do with two other stars to contend with. Most importantly though, he gave Penn State a fearsome presence to help shore up their run defense aboth Carter and Dennis-Sutton took care of business off the edge. In 2025, with no Abdul Carter, the pressure is on for Durant to wreak even more havoc up the middle. With the jaw-dropping traits requisite to match a player of DDS' caliber, look for Durant to be on the interior what Dennis-Sutton is on the edge. No Carter should be no problem with Durant at his all-time best. Biggest Question in 2025 What can Durant do for an encore? In a career year, he proved he could play off of two stars and benefit from their success. This year has a wholly different tenor to it however, without Carter's presence. Dani Dennis-Sutton will no double continue to be the star that he is, but can Durant follow suit? The traits: the first step quickness, the explosive movement in a more undersized frame, the impressive motor from the first to fourth quarter: are all there. He must show he can hold out on his own though. There's a reason why he hadn't been able to carve out an immediate role in this squad, and that's his lack of length and somewhat limited pass rush arsenal. Now that Carter's gone, he can't rely on pressure being generated from both sides. He must create his own. Whether or not he can do it remains to be seen, but will be a crucial factor in his growth as a player and how NFL scouts could view him. 2025 will be a success if... Durant simply complements Dennis-Sutton and ultimately proves that he can continuously generate pressure by himself. While he's not the No.1 guy in the front seven, expectations will almost certainly be heightened due to Carter's absence. Every Penn State fan knows what they are getting from Dennis-Sutton, but don't know if Durant can hold up on his own. He truly is a legitimate player with high upside once he gets to the NFL. How he handles a bigger role will be paramount. Most importantly, there may be sometimes where an opposing scheme is more tailored towards Durant's style of disruption. He must show that he can execute that sort of game plan while also being complementary to the depth around him. Overall, Durant does not have to be the second coming of Abdul Carter and he does not need to be. He is his own player with his own style. He must use that style effectively though to continue to have success and build his resume. 2025 will be a disappointment if... Zane Durant fails to have the same presence on the interior as he did last year, and Penn State gets outmatched in the run game because of it. The Big Ten is certainly tailored towards thriving passing attacks, but there are some squads who can gut you up the middle. Minnesota with Darius Taylor and Washington with both Jonah Coleman and Adam Mohammed come to mind. If Durant is not up to par, teams will take advantage of him more often. There will be many more situations where Durant is isolated in space and could be one of the first and last lines of defense. Thus, there are a number of opportunities that could see Durant have to be up to task. If he can't provide energy and efficiency stopping the run game, it could be a detriment to the whole squad and could lead to some shocking upset losses. It is critical that Durant is locked in, or else a potential strength for the Nittany Lions could become one of their biggest weaknesses. Realistic Outlook for 2025 I would not be surprised if Durant's stats jump even more off the page this season. In a role with a lot more freedom from the interior, look fro Durant to especially be the first line of defense in run support. Double digit TFLs yet again this year should be a solid goal to reach for Durant and he could easily get there. It's his draft stock that will be the most intriguing storyline of all. While he does not scream first round pick and maybe not even second, his undeniable attributes stand out on both tape and on the field. If he can continue to put up the elite numbers while honing his skills, then who knows how high Durant could go in next year's draft?
USA Today
17-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Rookie LB Cody Simon contract, salary details with Arizona Cardinals
Rookie LB Cody Simon contract, salary details with Arizona Cardinals Howard Balzer breaks down LB Cody Simon's rookie deal with the Cardinals The draft is now three weeks old, and as of Wednesday, 75.5 percent of the picks (194 of 257) have signed contracts. With the signing this week of their fourth-round pick, linebacker Cody Simon, the Arizona Cardinals have five of their seven choices under contract. Here are the specifics of Simon's deal: LB Cody Simon contract, salary details As a fourth-round choice (115 overall), the total value of his four-year deal is $5,204,760 and includes a signing bonus of $1,004,760. His salary cap charge for 2025 is $1,091,190. Simon's base salaries are the minimums for all four years: $840,000 this year; $1.005 million in 2026, $1.12 million in 2027 and $1.235 million in 2028. He has a full split for 2025 and a preseason split for 2026, which means his salary would decrease to $490,000 in 2025 and $540,000 in 2026 if he is on injured reserve. In 2024, the 6-foot-2, 229-pound Simon was a team captain at Ohio State and was a first-team All-Big Ten selection after leading the national champions with career-highs in tackles (112), tackles for loss (13), sacks (7.0) and passes defensed (seven). In playoff wins over Oregon and Notre Dame, Simon was named Defensive Player of the Game. Away from the field, Simon was a four-time Buckeyes Scholar-Athlete and Academic All-Big 10 for four years. He was also a four-time OSU Scholar-Athlete and four-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. Rookie contract details around NFL Of the league total, all 41 of the seventh-round selections have signed. Only two of the 119 picks in the fifth, six or seventh round are unsigned. The breakdown of rounds for the signed contracts league-wide is: First round: 16 of 32 Second round: 2 of 32 Third round: 33 of 38 Fourth round: 26 of 36 Fifth round: 37 of 38 Sixth round: 39 of 40 Seventh round: 41 of 41 The lethargy in signing second-round picks, of which the Cardinals have cornerback Will Johnson, is likely linked to the contracts for the first two choices in the round. Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger (first pick) and Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins (second) each signed four-year deals that are fully guaranteed. Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
USA Today
13-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Arizona Cardinals 4th-round pick, LB Cody Simon, signs 4-year rookie contract
Arizona Cardinals 4th-round pick, LB Cody Simon, signs 4-year rookie contract Simon is the fifth Cardinals draft pick to sign his rookie contract. Two draft picks remain unsigned. The Arizona Cardinals have signed another of their seven 2025 draft picks. The latest is linebacker Cody Simon, selected in the fourth round with the 115th overall pick out of Ohio State. Simon signed his four-year rookie deal on Monday at the team facility. He is the fifth draft pick to sign his rookie deal. As a fourth-round pick, his salary will be the league minimum each year. None of the salary will be guaranteed. He will receive a signing bonus. There will likely be a two-year split, meaning his salary will drop to a lower amount if he spends the season on injured reserve. Cards Wire will have full details of the deal in a few days. This is his bio from the team: Simon (6-2, 229) served as a team captain last season at Ohio State and was a first-team All-Big Ten selection after leading the National Champion Buckeyes with career-highs in tackles (112), tackles for loss (13), sacks (7.0) and passes defensed (seven). He was named the Defensive Player of the Game in both Ohio State playoff victories at the Rose Bowl over Oregon and the CFP National Championship Game over Notre Dame. During his five seasons at Ohio State, Simon played in 58 games (30 starts) and had 259 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, 10.0 sacks, 11 passes defensed, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one interception. He was also a four-time OSU Scholar-Athlete and four-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. With Simon's signing, only two of the Cardinals' draft picks are unsigned. Arizona Cardinals draft picks under contract OLB Jordan Burch (Round 3) LB Cody Simon (Round 4) CB Denzel Burke (Round 5) OL Hayden Conner (Round 6) S Kitan Crawford (Round 7) Unsigned Arizona Cardinals draft picks DL Walter Nolen (Round 1) CB Will Johnson (Round 2) Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Marcellus Speaks returns to Provine High as head football coach
JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Marcellus Speaks has returned to Provine High School in Jackson to become the new head football coach for the Provine Rams. Speaks is a former standout athlete and a 2004 graduate of Provine. During his time as an athlete for the school, Speaks was a team captain and earned First-Team All-Metro honors, along with Defensive Player of the Game recognition in the Bernard Blackwell All-Star Game. Hamer Morgan named Clinton's new head football coach He went on to play collegiate football at Delta State University and Jackson State University, where he helped lead JSU to a SWAC Championship and was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2008. Speaks' coaching career includes time as Defensive Backs Coach at Itawamba Community College (2019), Defensive Coordinator at Provine (2014-2017), and Head Coach at Provine (2017-2018). 'We are thrilled to welcome Coach Speaks back to Provine,' said Roderick Smith, principal of Provine High School. 'His dedication to excellence, combined with his personal connection to the school, will be a tremendous asset to our scholar-athletes.' Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
