CAREER NOTES & RECORDS
Career: Notable: Owns two career blocked punts (UMass, 10/14/23; Minnesota, 10/22/22).
2023 • REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE SEASON
Awards: Postseason: Earned the team's John Bruno Memorial Award, recognizing Penn State's outstanding special teams player. Midseason: Named a Burlsworth Trophy nominee.
Season: Appeared in 13 games on defense and special teams...Posted 29 tackles (17 solo), 4.5 tackles for loss, one sack, two forced fumbles, two interceptions, three pass breakups and a blocked punt...Named a team captain at the conclusion of spring practice...Awarded No. 0 jersey as Penn State's special teams leader, continuing a Penn State tradition...Named the coaching staff's Defensive Player of the Game (Delaware, 9/9) and Special Teams Player of the Game (Iowa, 9/23).
West Virginia (9/2): Recorded a solo sack in the second quarter. Delaware (9/9): Picked off a pass, the first of his career, in the third quarter and returned it 26 yards for a touchdown. at Illinois (9/16): Forced a fumble in the first quarter, the first of his career, which was recovered by Kobe King...Was credited with a tackle for loss on the forced fumble...Posted a career-high six tackles. Iowa (9/23): Made two solo tackles, including a tackle for loss, to go along with a forced fumble and a pass breakup. at Northwestern (9/30): Posted four solo tackles. UMass (10/14): Blocked a punt in the second quarter, the second of his career...Finished with three tackles and a pass breakup. at Ohio State (10/21): Posted two tackles. at Maryland (11/4): Posted an interception in the fourth quarter and returned it 35 yards...Added a solo tackle. Michigan (11/11): Made two solo stops. Rutgers (11/18): Tallied a solo tackle. at Michigan State (11/24): Made three tackles, including a half-tackle for loss. vs. Ole Miss (12/30): Posted four tackles (2 solo), including a tackle for loss.
2022 • REDSHIRT FRESHMAN SEASON
Awards: Earned the team's Outstanding Run-On Award with Tank Smith.
Season: Appeared in all 13 games on defense and special teams...Made 29 tackles (18 solo), two tackles for loss, a sack, a pass breakup, two quarterback hurries and a blocked punt...Earned the coaching staff's Special Teams Player of the Week (Minnesota, 10/22)...Earned a scholarship at the end of the season.
at Purdue (9/1): Tallied two solo stops. Ohio (9/10): Recorded a career-high five tackles (all solo)...Three of the five tackles came on special teams. at Auburn (9/17): Assisted on a tackle for loss. Central Michigan (9/24): Made three solo stops...Added a quarterback hurry. at Michigan (10/15): Picked up two tackles. Minnesota (10/22): Totaled two tackles...Blocked a punt in the third quarter that led to a Nittany Lion touchdown drive. Ohio State (10/29): Collected two solo stops. at Indiana (11/5): Made two tackles...Added a quarterback hurry. Maryland (11/12): Assisted on four tackles. at Rutgers (11/19): Made three tackles (2 solo), including a career-high 1.5 tackles for loss and his first career sack. Michigan State (11/26): Assisted on a tackle and recorded a pass breakup on fourth down. vs. Utah (1/2): Made two stops.
2021 • TRUE FRESHMAN SEASON
Awards: Named Penn State's Developmental Squad Defensive Player of the Year along with Jordan van den Berg and Jaden Seider.
Season: Redshirt season...Appeared in three games on special teams...Selected the coaching staff's Developmental Squad Defensive Player of the Week three times (Ball State, 9/11; Villanova, 9/25; Maryland, 11/6).
HIGH SCHOOL
Was a four-year starter, three-time captain and a two-way player for coach Randy Spencer at Wyoming Area High School...Led Wyoming Area to its first ever state championship as a senior, a 21-14 win over Central Valley in the PIAA Class 3A title game...Threw two touchdowns in the game...As a senior, was named Player of the Year by The Citizens' Voice, The Times Leader and NEPAFootball.com, and was selected to the WNEP Dream Team...Also earned 2019 PA Football Writers Class 3A All-State Quarterback and Player of the Year...Scored 34 touchdowns (21 passing, 13 rushing) while throwing only five interceptions as a senior...Finished his career with 3,880 passing and 1,906 rushing yards on offense...Defensively, picked off 12 passes and made 201 career tackles...On special teams, returned three kickoffs for a score and was also an effective punter...Also lettered in basketball, lacrosse and track and field, throwing the javelin...Earned all-conference honors as a freshman (honorable mention), sophomore (second team) and junior (first team) in lacrosse...Participated in student council and executive board.
PERSONAL
Full name is Dominic Carl DeLuca...Son of Ree Ree and Carl DeLuca...Has a sister, Sally, and brother, Dante...Father, Carl, played football at Wilkes University...Mother, Ree Ree, played field hockey at the University of Scranton and is a PIAA field hockey official...Sister, Sally, was a four-year starter and captain for the Bloomsburg University field hockey team...Brother, Dante, is a 2021 graduate of Penn State's College of Engineering...Has volunteered in numerous community service activities including grass cutting, snow shoveling, keynote speaking, coaching and bagging groceries....Majoring in agribusiness management.