Penn State Football Transfer Round-Up: DT Derrick Tangelo

We're continuing a detailed look at the new arrivals within the Penn State football program in the coming days and weeks, which includes six transfers and another eight high school prospects being welcomed into the Nittany Lion family. With winter workouts beginning last week and the transfers and early enrollees already on campus and working with the program, we first touched on graduate transfer running back John Lovett out of Baylor, then corner John Dixon from South Carolina.

We'll shift our attention today to defensive tackle Derrick Tangelo, a fifth-year senior transfer coming from Duke.

Soon after the completion of Penn State’s 2020 season, the news began to filter in daily for personnel decisions within the program, both those leaving as well as those coming in.

On Dec. 23, that news meant the announcement, to some level of surprise, that fifth-year senior defensive tackle Antonio Shelton would seek to take advantage of the NCAA’s free year of eligibility with a final, sixth season, elsewhere. A multi-year starter on the Nittany Lions’ defensive line, the choice landed Shelton at Florida while Penn State developed an even more pronounced need for immediate help within the unit.

Six days later, it got it.

Announcing his decision via Twitter, Duke defensive tackle Derrick Tangelo would finish his collegiate career in State College.

Finishing with more than 100 tackles and five sacks through the past three seasons, Tangelo appeared in all four seasons he spent with the Blue Devils program. As Brian McLawhorn, publisher at Devils Illustrated explained this week, that production and early impact within the program was no accident in Tangelo’s case.

“Part of it was out of necessity, as Duke lost one of its key starters at defensive tackle early in the season,” McLawhorn said. “(But) it's a classic case of someone taking an opportunity and running with it. Tangelo was always touted as one of the team's hardest workers, and someone intent on getting better. David Cutcliffe always spoke about how coachable Tangelo is, and as a result, he was technically sound at an early stage in his career - not to mention the physical traits.”

Listed at 6-foot-2, 310 pounds, those traits led Tangelo to a considerable level of production with the Blue Devils. At 11.3 percent, Tangelo’s run-stopping percentage was the best in all of college football this past season for defensive linemen with at least 200 snaps on the year.

Further, his extensive experience in the form of a total of 1,484 career snaps, brings an instant boost to the Nittany Lions’ defensive line room while opening a final chance on a bigger stage for Tangelo as his college career wraps up. Initial indications to Blue White Illustrated are that Tangelo is likely to appear as a three-technique with the Nittany Lions, opening the opportunity for senior P.J. Mustipher to move to the one-technique after playing at the three alongside Shelton last season.

Acknowledging that Tangelo’s decision came as something of a surprise to transfer and continue playing rather than finishing his career at Duke or opting to pursue his opportunity at the next level, McLawhorn painted the picture of a piece the Nittany Lions will very much be able to rely upon.

“Tangelo is a smart, skillful defensive tackle that plays with pretty solid strength and drive. He's a guy that did a great job for Duke disrupting the run game and drawing attention to the interior, which ultimately allowed the Blue Devils to have two of the top pass rushers, and backfield disruptors off the edges in the ACC over the last two seasons,” McLawhorn said. “Without Tangelo's ability to get push up the middle, Duke's defensive line would not have had nearly the success it experienced during his time. Penn State is getting a defensive tackle that will put everything out there on the field - sounds cliché, but it's the truth with this guy.”

Tangelo will have one remaining season of eligibility at Penn State.

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