The Penn State Nittany Lions are losing a key defensive piece in Chop Robinson, who declared for the 2024 NFL Draft on his social media platforms Tuesday. The Maryland Terrapins transfer played his last two years with the Nittany Lions, and managed to start every game this season. Robinson amassed four sacks and two forced fumbles en route to becoming a leader on the top defense in the nation.
Robinson said he will not compete with his team in the Peach Bowl against the Ole Miss Rebels. On top of being first in total defense by allowing just 223.3 yards per game, the Nittany Lions’ finished third in rushing defense and scoring defense on their way to their fifth 10-win season since 2016. While Robinson took a slight statistical step back from the 2022 season that saw him finish with 26 tackles and 5.5 sacks, injuries forced him to missed two games as well as a portion of a third.
Robinson was given All-Big Ten first-team honors in his third and final season partly due to the fact that he found himself ranked sixth in pass-rush grade among players with over 100 pass-rush reps, according to Pro Football Focus. The former five-star recruit earned Penn State Defensive Player of the Week honors three times.
The Nittany Lions’ Defense Posted Historic Numbers with Chop Robinson Playing a Large Role
During one of the weeks in which Robinson earned Penn State Defensive Player of the Week honors, the Nittany Lions held his former team, Maryland, to -49 rushing yards. The historic defense also held the Michigan State Spartans to -35 rushing yards in one of their three shutouts on the year, making it the first time they’ve done so since 1978. During Robinson’s era the Nittany Lions have not allowed more than 24 points for 17 consecutive games, which is the nation’s longest streak.
Robinson also contributed to a defense that led the nation in sacks with 48, and led all Power Five teams in tackles for loss with 101. Although Robinson’s departure as a junior is not ideal for the Nittany Lions, sack-leader Adisa Isaac has not yet announced his plans moving forward. If Isaac leaves with Robinson, linebacker Abdul Carter will be forced to carry the pass-rushing load along with sophomore edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton.
I’ll always appreciate Chop Robinson. Him transferring in was not only big for the team, but huge for recruiting in the DMV region as well. A great player, who is gonna have an awesome NFL career.
Of course I wish we could watch him one more time, but after that scary incident…