Since joining Penn State football out of high school last season, there’s been a learning curve for defensive lineman Max Granville.

The defensive end appeared in seven games in his true freshman season before redshirting. He registered a pass breakup on a quarterback hit against Kent State and then a solo tackle against Maryland.

“We have a really high standard in our D-line room,” Granville said. “We want to put tight ends and tackles a couple yards in the backfield every time, and I wasn’t doing that. I was getting stalemated sometimes.”

Granville noted he wasn’t playing up to the standard that defensive line coach Deion Barnes has set for the unit. In response to a rough start, Granville has been working to fast track his development as a pass rusher and run-stopping defensive lineman.

“I knew I was going to have to get better in the run game, but I didn’t know to what extent. I kind of got humbled the first couple practices of spring ball. I wasn’t dominant in the way I wanted to,” Granville said.

The defensive end has been working closely with the tight ends and tackles during preseason practice, especially during stretch concepts, which helped Granville develop a better on-field skillset. The Nittany Lion mentioned his reps against offensive lineman Drew Shelton and tight end Khalil Dinkins, calling them great training partners as some of the premier blockers on the team.

“It’s been great. It has definitely sharpened me. You know the term iron sharpens iron,” he said.

The defensive end discussed the importance of his off-field habits, such as sleep, nutrition, and other necessities toward recovery. Granville has also taken an increased interest in the weight room. When he first got to Penn State, the Nittany Lion weighed in at just 225 pounds. Now, with just a few months before the start of the 2025 season, Granville aims to be around 250 pounds.

“It’s an adjustment, so at first it probably will [slow me down], but especially if you’re eating lean foods and putting on good muscle over time, you get used to your body, which I’ve experienced so far. I feel like I’m moving really well this way,” Granville said.

Barnes knows the peculiar position the redshirt freshmen find themselves. Between continuing to learn as young players and now being key parts of the developing defensive front, opportunities are available for the taking.

“The challenge would be consistency. They can do some good things. And then up keeping that and making sure that’s something they can do on an every-play basis, it’s a different task that [the redshirt freshmen] have been asked to do,” Barnes said. “They never really had to be consistent because they redshirted last year. They didn’t see this. They didn’t have the experience.”

Barnes reestablished Granville’s statements about expectations ahead of the 2025 season, emphasizing the need for some younger talent to step up — especially at the defensive end position, where Abdul Carter roamed all of last season. Despite some turnover, Barnes expresses confidence that his group will continue to be a force on the front lines of the Penn State defense.

“I’m confident. I’m really confident they put a lot of stuff on film that looks really good. I’m pushing for that consistency and that high expectation, so we’re going to get there, without a doubt. But I’m happy. I’m happy where we’re at now,” Barnes said.