After coming back from injury, Penn State edge rusher Adisa Isaac is an early-round prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Here is everything to know about Isaac’s career leading up to the draft.
Where Did Isaac’s Football Career Start?
Isaac was born Oct. 4, 2001, in Brooklyn, N.Y. He attended Canarsie High School in Brooklyn, where he played defensive end and recorded 210 tackles and 39 sacks.
Isaac claimed All-USA New York Defensive Player of the Year honors as selected by USA Today as a senior, was named All-USA New York Football Team First-Team by USA Today in 2018, was selected Big 44 Defensive Player of the Year as a junior, was a three-time all-city selection, and named team MVP twice.
A four-star prospect, Isaac committed to Penn State University to play college football.
Revisiting Isaac’s College Career
As a true freshman, Isaac appeared in 11 games. He appeared in all nine games as a sophomore and finished the season with 13 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and two quarterback hurries.
Isaac’s redshirt season was in 2021 as he missed it due to injury. When he came back in 2022, he started all 13 games at defensive end and recorded 28 tackles (15 solo), 11 tackles for loss (team-high), four sacks, and eight quarterback hurries.
"He's incredibly explosive." 👀@IC_Draft says @PennStateFball edge rusher @A1Isaac1 has the potential to be an impact starter in the #NFL.#WeAre | #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/IvsBf109DI
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) February 29, 2024
He finished the season tied for sixth in the Big Ten in tackles for loss (11). Among defensive linemen in the Big Ten, the 11 tackles for loss were tied for third.
In his final year in 2023, Isaac started all 10 games at defensive end, racking up 27 tackles (16 solo), 13.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, four quarterback hurries, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.
Isaac’s Potential in the NFL
Pro Football Network draft analyst Ian Cummings said Isaac has early-starter utility at the NFL level and could grow to be an impact starter across multiple phases.
“At almost 6’5″, 250 pounds, with near-34″ arms, Isaac is a prototype with an all-encompassing physical profile,” Cummings wrote. “He’s incredibly explosive, energized on the lateral plane, and flexible beneath the arc. Not only that, he also generates shocking power at contact and has the strength to set the edge in run defense.
“Isaac’s profile grants him some schematic versatility. He can rush from 4-point stances at 5-tech and 7-tech or stretch out to wide-9 as a stand-up rusher and stress the apex with his burst and bend. He has an actionable power arsenal as it stands, but can also build off of that with swats, swipes, rips, and chops, and his motor underpins his game.”
MORE: Ian Cummings’ Full Scouting Report of Adisa Isaac
Isaac’s strengths, according to Cummings, include sporting an impressive frame with swathing length, hands that shock at contact, and being a fluid, twitched-up lateral rusher who can offset tackles or stress angles on stunts.
Highlights, Records, and More
In his redshirt junior season, Isaac earned All-Big Ten Third-Team honors from the coaches and honorable mention by the media, was tabbed a Phil Steele fourth-team All-Big Ten honoree, was named the team’s Reid Robinson Outstanding Defensive Lineman Award winner along with Chop Robinson, and earned a spot on the College Sports Communicators Comeback Player of the Year Watch List.
In his final year, Isaac ranked tied for second in the Big Ten in tackles for loss (13.5; T-17th nationally) and third in sacks (6.5; T-34th).
He led the Big Ten and was fifth among Power Five defensive linemen with 13.5 tackles for loss. Since the start of the 2022 season, he owned six games with multiple tackles for loss, the most in the Big Ten in that span.
KEEP READING: Top EDGEs in the 2024 NFL Draft
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