Penn State defensive end Shane Simmons is looking to close his college career with a memorable senior season.
Ron Jenkins | AP file photo
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Shane Simmons looked poised for a breakout after his redshirt freshman season in 2017, but a significant injury and a crowded depth chart have limited his impact.
Nam Y. Huh | AP file photo
Graduation came two weeks ago for Shane Simmons. A virtual commencement — thanks to the coronavirus pandemic — wasn’t something he could have envisioned when coming to Penn State.
Then again, things haven’t gone as expected for the senior defensive end for most of his time on campus.
Not that any of that has dissuaded him.
A former star recruit, Simmons hasn’t had the impact on the field many predicted so far, but he’s eager to return for his fifth season and change that.
“I believe I can leave my mark at Penn State,” Simmons said Wednesday on a video call with reporters. “This is a really important year for me.”
And one filled with opportunity.
The Nittany Lions have a vacancy to fill at one starting defensive end spot with Yetur-Gross Matos off to the NFL as a second-round draft pick of the Carolina Panthers.
Fellow fifth-year senior Shaka Toney is returning at the other spot, and the competition for playing time figures to be tough with the Lions regularly recruiting more defensive linemen than any other position.
Penn State wasn’t able to hold spring practices because of the COVID-19 crisis, but the program did put out a depth chart last month, offering a glimpse at where things stand during this hiatus.
Simmons was listed second team at defensive end behind redshirt sophomore Jayson Oweh. Those two, along with Toney and true sophomore Adisa Isaac figure to lead the rotation on the edge for new defensive line coach John Scott Jr.
Battling for playing time is nothing new for Simmons, who signed with the Lions while they were still emerging from NCAA sanctions.
At the time, he was rated as Maryland’s top overall prospect in his class and one of the nation’s top 100 overall recruits. Playing at Maryland powerhouse DeMatha Catholic, Simmons was teammates with Chase Young, the No. 2 overall pick in last month’s draft.
The trajectory hasn’t been nearly as high for Simmons, who redshirted while Penn State shockingly won the Big Ten in 2016.
A promising 2017 didn’t lead to a breakout 2018, however, as a foot injury had him on crutches and largely kept him off the field. With the Lions’ depth at the position, it’s been an uphill battle ever since.
“I would describe it as overcoming adversity, for me,’’ Simmons said of his career thus far. “I started off as a huge recruit with high expectations and pressure. I had a pretty good redshirt freshman year. Then all that other stuff popped up.
“I’ve been working and battling through all of that. It’s not what I planned, but the story isn’t finished yet.”
The current situation makes things tricky, as Simmons and the rest of the team have been away from campus for more than two months now, needing to maintain their training and conditioning on their own.
The 6-foot-4 Simmons said he has been adding muscle in the meantime and expects to be ready to go when football activities are able to resume.
And regardless of how much he end up playing, he’s looking to help develop the next group of Penn State pass rushers as well.
“I think I will be a good leader this year,” Simmons said. “I think I can help out a lot in the run game, too. And I think working on my pass rush and trusting myself again, I think anything’s possible for me, and you will see great things from me in the fall.”