Dani Dennis-Sutton is a 6-foot-5, 265-pound edge of the Penn State Nittany Lions. He was a 4-star recruit of the Nittany Lions of the 2022 class. He earned an immediate playing time in his true freshman year in 2022 and recorded his first sack in the second game against Auburn. He is one of the top pass rusher prospects of the 2026 NFL draft, ranked No.18th edge in the country.

Let’s learn more about his life away from the field.

Where is Dani Dennis-Sutton from?

Dani Dennis-Sutton was born on December 23, 2003, in Millsboro, Delaware, to Dana Sutton and Tishon Dennis, and is 21 years old. He has two sisters, Dayna and Desira. He lived with his family in the low-country farm fields and woods of Sussex County, Delaware. He had a strict academic protocol from his mother, who worked as a teacher. It was his father who encouraged his early sports career. 

“We started him off at, I believe, 5 years old. He wasn’t even old enough to play, but I agreed to coach because they needed coaches, and he was so big for his age. I think you had to be like 7 before you started playing, and they let him come in at 5,” Dana Sutton, Dani’s dad, said in an interview. “He started playing both football and basketball at 5 years old.”

Dani Dennis-Sutton studied in Delaware until middle school years, and Dennis’ parents decided to send him to McDonogh School in Owings Mills, Maryland, a football powerhouse. He was a multi-sport athlete who played football, basketball, and ran track. He was a two-time team captain for McDonogh School, leading the team to an 11-1 record and a runner-up in the Maryland A conference. His junior season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In his senior year, he was selected to play in the 2022 All-American Bowl and the Polynesian Bowl, but was sidelined due to injury. He finished 40 tackles (21 solo), six sacks, and two forced fumbles as a sophomore, and 14 stops (3 solo) as a freshman. Penn State was not on his college list until the top athletes of his school joined Penn State, which is two hours away from where he lives. He committed to Penn State with 30+ offers in his hands as a top recruit in the class of 2022.

What is Dani Dennis-Sutton’s Ethnicity and Nationality?

Dani Dennis-Sutton is an American native, born in Sussex, Delaware. His mother attended school at Morgan State University in Maryland and worked as a high school science and anatomy teacher in Delaware. His father is a bus driver for mentally and physically challenged adults in Delaware. There is no public information on their ethnicity.

Is Dani Dennis-Sutton Christian? 

There is no public information available regarding Dani Dennis-Sutton’s religion.

Being from a small county in Millsboro, Dani Dennis-Sutton led his school in Maryland to sign as one of the highest-ranked recruits in Penn State, and to a top prospect in the NFL Draft of 2026. His journey is truly inspirational, motivating every small-town kid with big dreams.