Why Penn State OL Will Fries is skipping the NFL draft and returning in 2020
Penn State’s redshirt junior offensive tackle Will Fries announced his decision Saturday afternoon to forgo the 2020 NFL Draft and return to Penn State for his redshirt senior year. The Nittany Lions are now set to return four of their five starters on the offensive line in 2020.
Fries announced his decision via his personal Twitter account with a statement, citing personal and team goals as the reason for his return.
“There are some goals that were set for me and this team which have not been achieved yet,” the statement read. “We have more to accomplish and higher aspirations to strive toward. I know this team will do it and I want to be part of that success.”
The redshirt junior started all 12 regular season games for the Nittany Lions in 2019 and has appeared in 38 games in his career, with 32 total starts.
Fries is the second offensive lineman to announce his return after fellow redshirt junior Michal Menet, the team’s starting center, announced his decision to return Tuesday afternoon. Fries and Menet will join redshirt freshman offensive tackle Rasheed Walker as returning full-time starters. Redshirt junior co-starters at left guard, Mike Miranda and C.J. Thorpe, are also expected to return in 2020. Should Miranda and Thorpe also return, the 2019 unit will only lose redshirt senior guard Steven Gonzalez.
Sophomore tight end Pat Freiermuth also announced his decision to return to Penn State after the Nittany Lions took down Rutgers in the regular season finale. The Nittany Lions will, however, be losing junior defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos, who declared his intention to enter the 2020 NFL draft Thursday.
Fries was a three-star recruit out of high school according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.
This story was originally published December 7, 2019 at 3:59 PM.
