Penn State's Yvan Kemajou named one of ESPN's sleeper players
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The Penn State Nittany Lions are primed for a reset of a season after last year's disappointment. Still, there is a lot of room for growth in a team that has a lot of new faces. With a lot of players comes a number of opportunities and that also means that several returner will be tasked with breakout roles. That's why according to ESPN, a certain player for the Nittany Lions could be seen as a "sleeper" player this season.
In a defensive line group that has a lot of new players looking to be implemented, Yvan Kemajou is one of the constants. The sophomore edge rusher may not have gotten much of a chance last year, but with Matt Campbell now at the helm and a new need for a a star edge rusher in Happy Valley, Kemajou could see his star continue to rise.
In 11 games, he had 13 tackles and 5 tackles for loss. In ESPN's article, they called Kemajou a "a budding pass rusher who flashed during Big Ten play, finding his way into opposing backfields".
What was in fact so special about Yvan Kemajou is that he came into the pass rush rotation very late in the midst of their mid and late season struggles. And yet, Kemajou stood out and was a reason for Penn State's defense turning things around late last year.
Most importantly, he got much needed playing time against two very tough teams in Ohio State and Indiana. To gain that experience that early in his career is highly important to setting a solid foundation for his long term future.
"Yvan started and played the last half of the season as a true freshman in the Big Ten," Campbell told ESPN. "I don't know if anybody could have played any more impressively as a young freshman, what he did against the Ohio States of the world, the Indianas of the world.”
Not bad for someone who Penn State considers to be the future of their edge rushing group.
This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Penn State's Yvan Kemajou named one of ESPN's sleeper players
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