Why Penn State's Dani Dennis-Sutton Called the Pinstripe Bowl a 'Privilege'

NEW YORK | After Penn State beat Rutgers in late November to clinch a bowl berth, defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton approached interim head coach Terry Smith with a promise and a prediction.

“I’m going to play in this game,” Dennis-Sutton said, “and I’m going to be the MVP of it.”

Though receiver Trebor Pena was voted MVP of Penn State’s 22-10 win over Clemson, Dennis-Sutton was his team’s heartbeat. The draft-eligible senior did not opt out, playing all four quarters in a performance that Smith praised as exceptional.

Eleven Penn State starters, including four on defense, opted out of the bowl game, but Dennis-Sutton stayed. He was the only player from Penn State’s 2022 recruiting class to start the Pinstripe Bowl, capping a career that began in 2022 and ended with him bringing the Pinstripe Bowl trophy into the post-game press conference at Yankee Stadium.

“This program gave me a million opportunities,” Dennis-Sutton said. “So playing in the game, this is nothing, man. I love football. I love playing football. I love this program. So it was sort of a no-brainer for me.

"I don't really comprehend not playing in a game. It's an opportunity to go out there with my boys one last time, and it was a privilege. We worked hard to get into the bowl game. Things didn't go our way in the beginning, but we worked hard to get in this position, so I was just going to go out there and take advantage of it."

Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik is sacked by Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton. — Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) is sacked by Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton (33) during the second half of the 2025 Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Dennis-Sutton played one of his better games of the season Saturday, making four tackles and two sacks while eating up plenty of double teams. The Pinstripe Bowl was a stellar end to his tenure with Penn State.

“I know Trebor got the MVP, but Dani is my MVP,” Smith said. “Because this guy didn't have to play today. Guys of his caliber and magnitude, a lot of them walk away and just chase the next journey. And that's okay. There's nothing negative in that statement. But he chose to come back, and what an outstanding performance with the two sacks.”

Dennis-Sutton finished his Penn State career with 23.5 career sacks, passing Matt Millen and Abdul Carter for sixth on Penn State’s all-time list. He also generated pressure that allowed players on the back end to impact the game. Freshman cornerback Daryus Dixson, who broke up three passes, said Dennis-Sutton’s presence disrupted Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik tremendously.

“I’m a little surprised that he played, but it’s a blessing that he did,” Dixson said. “He got to play one more time in the colors.”

Dennis-Sutton’s value at Penn State hasn’t just been on the field. He has been a leader in the locker room as well. Quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, who took over for starter Drew Allar after he broke his ankle against Northwestern, called Dennis-Sutton a “glue guy” who “everybody likes.”

Which makes sense, considering that Dennis-Sutton said he told Smith to hold him accountable and make an example of him to younger players when he makes a mistake.

“Dani [is a] high-character guy,” Grunkemeyer said. “Everyone in the locker room loves him. [He’s] just a great guy, and especially in the past couple months, with all the hardships we've been having. He's just been a glue guy for us. He's a leader for the team, a guy that's been here for a while, and obviously a really good player. So it's easy to follow a guy like that [who helped] us get through those tough times.”

Added center Dom Rulli, who made his first career start, “He is the standard. Having an old guy who wants to continue to place with us, it’s just juice all around. It feeds everybody.”

Dani Dennis-Sutton told Terry Smith after the Rutgers game that he wasn’t opting out of the Pinstripe Bowl pic.twitter.com/sRopXQ4X73
— Audrey Snyder (@audsnyder4) December 27, 2025

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