Penn State announced earlier today that three-quarters of its defensive line will participate in the 61st Hula Bowl in Hawaii.

According to a release, senior defensive tackles Jay Alford and Ed Johnson and senior defensive end Tim Shaw will represent Penn State in the Jan.15 all-star game that kicks off at 8:30 p.m. EST on ESPN.

Alford, Johnson and Shaw all proved to be pivotal members of a Penn State defense that finished an Outback Bowl championship season ranked in the top 15 nationally in five categories. The Penn State defense rendered just three touchdowns over the final 25 quarters of the season and held Tennessee to a season-low 10 points in the New Year’s Day Outback Bowl.

Alford led the team with eight sacks and 14.5 tackles for a loss on his way to earning third-team Associated Press All-America honors.

Johnson, who returned to the team after a temporary expulsion in 2005, notched five sacks for the Lions. However, the Detroit native missed the Outback Bowl for an unspecified violation of team rules.

Shaw, who has played three different positions for Penn State, moved to defensive end this year after two years as a middle linebacker. Before that, he was a running back.

Though weighing in at just 237 pounds and often matched up against offensive linemen 60-80 pounds heavier, Shaw capped his senior year with seven sacks, second on the team only to Alford.