Penn State DT Zane Durant announces return to Nittany Lions in 2025. Why that’s important
Penn State’s attempt to make another run in the College Football Playoff next season was helped Saturday morning.
Defensive tackle Zane Durant announced he’ll be returning to the Nittany Lions for the 2025 season instead of declaring for the NFL draft. He made the announcement via his Twitter account.
“Thank you Nittany Nation,” his statement read. “It’s been a tremendous ride these past 3 years. I’m thankful for all my teammates. I’m thankful for [defensive line coach Deion] Barnes and [defensive coordinator Tom] Allen. I want to thank my pop and mom for helping me through this process. I thank the Lord for guiding me. With that being said, Penn State I’m coming back.”
Durant’s return will give a massive boost to the program with fellow starting defensive tackle Dvon J-Thomas running out of eligibility.
The line will still have to replace defensive end Abdul Carter, who led the team with 12 sacks this season. And the defense is still awaiting a decision from defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton, who proved how disruptive he can be as a pass rusher by racking up 4.5 sacks in the team’s three College Football Playoff games.
Durant was a key piece up the middle for Penn State, accruing three sacks, but helping those two edge rushers get theirs by getting a push up the middle and forcing opposing quarterbacks to step out of the pocket.
He and the rest of the Nittany Lions will next play a game on Aug. 30 when they take on Nevada in Beaver Stadium to open the season.
