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Penn State DL Zane Durant declares for NFL Draft, opts out of Pinstripe Bowl

Chandler Vesselsby: Chandler Vessels23 hours agoChandlerVessels

Penn State defensive tackle Zane Durant will enter the 2026 NFL Draft, he announced Monday via his Instagram account. Durant also revealed that he will not play in the Pinstripe Bowl against Clemson.

“For the past four years, I want to thank everyone that I got a chance to work with at Penn State,” Durant wrote. “I also want to thank the Lord because without him this wouldn’t be possible. Thank you momma and pops for everything you instilled in me. I want to thank coach (James) Franklin for giving me the opportunity to attend Penn State, and for being a mentor and example to me. With that being said, I will be opting out of the bowl and declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft.”

Durant played the past four seasons for the Nittany Lions, starting 40 of 54 career games. He ends his career with 89 total tackles (22 for loss), 10 sacks, one interception and one fumble recovery.

This season, the defensive tackle set a career-best with four sacks and also recorded his first career interception. He finished with 25 total tackles, including four for loss.

Zane Durant played high school football at Lake Nona in Orlando, Florida, where he was a four-star prospect. He ranked as the No. 307 overall player and No. 38 defensive lineman in the 2022 cycle according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting services.

The 6-foot-1, 287-pound defensive tackle is considered to be a third or fourth-round pick according to most draft experts. Prior to the start of this season, he ranked as one of the top five defensive tackles according to ESPN.

The results of this past season may have caused him to slide down some on draft boards. It was a disappointing result for the Nittany Lions, who finished 6-6 one season after playing in the College Football Playoff semifinals.

Regardless, Durant will hope to improve his draft stock through some of the predraft activities such as the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine. He’ll have the next few months to do so before the 2026 NFL Draft begins on April 23.

As for Penn State, it will have to manage without one of its top defensive players for the bowl game. Kickoff for the Pinstripe Bowl is set for 12 p.m. ET on Dec. 27.