2017 • JUNIOR SEASON
Season: Made 12 starts.
at Pittsburgh (9/8): Tied for a team high with seven tackles, a career best...Set a career high with two tackles for loss...Added a QB hurry. Kent State (9/15): Recorded a solo tackle. at Illinois (9/21): Assisted on three tackles...Recorded a half-tackle for loss. Ohio State (9/29): Made four stops...Had 1.5 tackles for loss. Michigan State (10/13): Posted two tackles...Recorded a sack and a QB hurry. at Indiana (10/20): Broke up a pass in the first quarter. Iowa (10/27): Registered two QB hurries. at Michigan (11/3): Recorded two solo tackles. Wisconsin (11/10): Assisted on a tackle. at Rutgers (11/17): Collected five tackles...Had 1.5 tackles for loss...Named the coaching staff's Defensive Player of the Week. Maryland (11/24): Registered four solo tackles...Collected a career-high two sacks...Earned the coaching staff's Defensive Player of the Week award. vs. Kentucky (1/1): Tied a career high with two sacks...Registered four tackles.
2017 • SOPHOMORE SEASON
Awards: Was presented with the 2018 Jim O’Hora Award, which is presented annually to a defensive player for “exemplary conduct, loyalty, interest, attitude and improvement” during spring practice.
Season: Appeared in all 13 games with four starts...Made his first start of the Season at defensive end at Michigan State (11/14)...Saw time at both defensive end and defensive tackle...Forced his first career fumble at Maryland (11/25).
Akron (9/2): Made one tackle. Pittsburgh (9/9): Combined with Shaka Toney on a tackle for loss in the fourth quarter for his lone stop of the game. Georgia State (9/16): Made one tackle...Recovered his third career fumble in the third quarter...Helped Penn State force five turnovers (three interceptions, two fumble recoveries), the first time since forcing five turnovers at Indiana (five fumble recoveries) in 2016. Indiana (9/30): Made one solo stop. at Northwestern (10/7): Broke up a career-high two passes, batting a pair of Clayton Thorson attempts at the line of scrimmage. Michigan (10/21): Made a career-high four tackles...Sacked John O’Korn on fourth-and-11 to force a Michigan turnover on downs...Part of a defensive line that earned the coaching staff’s Defensive Player of the Week. at Michigan State (11/4): Started at defensive end...Logged a career-high-tying four tackles. Rutgers (11/11): Made two tackles in his second start at defensive end. Nebraska (11/18): Totaled two stops...Had a solo takedown of quarterback Tanner Lee in the third quarter. at Maryland (11/25): Registered three tackles...Had a strip-sack of Max Bortenschlager in the first quarter, a fumble which was recovered by Maryland on a third-and-long...The forced fumble on the play was the first of his career...Part of a defense that held the Terps scoreless in the first half, marking the seventh time in 2017 the Nittany Lion defense held an opponent scoreless in at least one half. vs. Washington (12/30): Totaled a career-high-tying four tackles...Combined with Parker Cothren on a second-quarter sack of Jake Browning.
2016 • REDSHIRT FRESHMAN SEASON
Awards: Named to Campus Insiders Freshman All-America second team...Selected to the BTN.com and ESPN.com All-Big Ten Freshman Team...Named to the Pro Football Focus Big Ten Team of the Week following his performance vs. No. 2 Ohio State (10/22).
Season: Appeared in all 14 games with six starts...One of 18 first-time starters in 2016...One of 27 freshmen (22 redshirt, 5 true) to appear in 2016.
Final Rankings: No. 3 in the Big Ten and tied for No. 30 in the FBS with two fumble recoveries.
Kent State (9/3): Started his first career game...Made three stops...Recorded his first career tackle in the first quarter, a combined stop with Christian Campbell. Temple (9/17): Collected two tackles...Recorded his first career tackle for loss, a third-quarter solo takedown behind the line...Part of a front seven that limited Temple to just 38 rushing yards, the fewest since holding Illinois to 37 yards on the ground in 2015. at Michigan (9/24): Made three stops. Minnesota (10/1): Recorded three tackles...Had one tackle for loss, including a combined sack with Robert Windsor in the fourth quarter. Maryland (10/8): Had one tackle...Made the first full sack of his career with a solo takedown of Tyrrell Pigrome in the fourth quarter...Part of a defense that allowed 11 first downs...Helped limit Maryland to 14 points – all in the first half – 170 rushing yards and 270 yards of total offense, after the Terps entered averaging 43.2 points, 300.0 rushing and 466.2 yards of total offense per game. Ohio State (10/22): Made two tackles...Combined with Evan Schwan on a fourth down sack of J.T. Barrett to seal Penn State’s first win over a top-2 team since 1990 (at No. 1 Notre Dame) and the first at home since 1982 (No. 2 Nebraska)...Helped the defense to a Season-high 11.0 tackles for loss, the most TFLs since posting 11.0 vs. Maryland in 2015...The 11.0 tackles for loss were the most yielded by the Buckeyes since giving up 11.0 vs. Alabama (2015)...The 6.0 sacks given up by Ohio State are the most since yielding 7.0 against Virginia Tech (2014). at Purdue (10/29): Recovered his first career fumble in the fourth quarter...Helped Penn State force four turnovers. Iowa (11/5): Made three hits, including a third-quarter sack of C.J. Beathard. at Indiana (11/12): Logged one tackle...Combined with Garrett Sickels on a first quarter sack of Richard Lagow...Broke up his first career pass in the fourth quarter...Recovered the second of Penn State’s five fumbles...Part of a defense that forced a Season-high five turnovers, the most since forcing five against Maryland in 2015...Penn State’s five fumble recoveries were its most since recovering five versus FIU in 2007...Helped the Nittany Lion defense generate nine tackles for loss. at Rutgers (11/19): Notched two stops...Made a solo tackle for loss in the second quarter...Aided the Nittany Lions in compiling nine tackles for loss, the eighth time in 2016 Penn State's defense recorded at least 9.0 stops behind the line of scrimmage. Michigan State (11/26): Made two tackles...Sacked Tyler O’Conner for a loss of 8 yards on the final play of the third quarter. vs. Wisconsin (12/3): Had two solo stops...Made a solo stop on third down to force a Badger punt in the fourth quarter. vs. USC (1/2): Had two tackles.
2015 • TRUE FRESHMAN SEASON
Redshirt Season.
HIGH SCHOOL
Played 40 miles away from State College at Altoona Area High School for head coach John Franco...As a linebacker and defensive end, helped the Mountain Lions reach their first state playoff game as a member of the WPIAL...Earned Pennsylvania Football Newsfirst-team all-state (AAAA) honors as a senior...Named to PFN’s #TeamPA Defensive All-Star Team...Named to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Fabulous 22 team...Also played as a fullback, rushing for 317 yards on 39 carries (8.1 avg.) as a senior...Recorded 115 tackles as a junior to earn All-WPIAL accolades...Rated a three-star prospect by 247Sports, ESPN, Rivals and Scout...Ranked as the 16th-best prospect in the state by 247Sports...Selected to play in the 2015 Big 33 Classic.
PERSONAL
Full name is Kevin Rashawn Givens...Son of Ralphia Guthrie...Majoring in criminology...Born March 1, 1997 in Newark, New Jersey.