Only Kevin Givens until Penn State Football

Kevin Givens joined Penn State in the class of 2015 as a three-star outside linebacker —yes, you read that correctly, and was a late flip from Pitt. Kevin also played defensive end while in high school, so he was thought to be a tweener kind of player - similar to Nick Tarburton in the current recruiting class. To the surprise of many, however, Givens emerged from his redshirt year and lined up on the interior of the defensive line, recording his first start in the 2016 season opener versus Kent State. Throughout the course of the 2016 season, Kevin racked up 26 tackles, 7 TFL, 4.5 sacks, and broke up one pass. He was named to the BTN.com and ESPN.com All-Big Ten Freshman Teams, as well as Campus Insiders Freshman All-America second team.

2017 bodes well for Givens. While he was - and will continue to be - a part of the defensive tackle rotation behind the The Cothræns™ (Curtis and Parker) —Ed. Note: Like Penn State Pessimism™, The Cothræns™ is trademarked. ~Eli, the departure of Antoine White moves him squarely into the back up role, alongside fellow redshirt sophomore Robert Windsor. I personally expect Kevin to have a breakout year in 2017, setting up the interior of the defensive line well for the next several years.

Just 30 days until kickoff!