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Penn State defender listed among top returners at his position in 2025: Newsstand

Greg Pickelby: Greg Pickel03/13/25GregPickel
zane-durant-penn-state-football-on3
Defensive tackle Zane Durant. (Credit: Steve Manuel | Blue White Illustrated)

Penn State updates for March 13 include a list of the top returning defensive tackles in college football, NCAA wrestling seeds, and more.

Penn State tweets of the day

Pro Football Focus put out its list of the top returning interior defensive linemen across college football this week. Nittany Lion senior Zane Durant checks in at No. 2 on the list. He spurned an opportunity to enter the 2025 NFL Draft for one final season in State College. The Florida native is expected to lead the Penn State defense and elevate his draft stock for next year in the process.

“Durant was a constant presence in opposing backfields last season, excelling as both a pass rusher and run defender,” Max Chadwick writes for PFF. “He led all FBS interior defenders with 14 tackles for loss or no-gain in 2024, while his 28 pressures ranked among the top 25 in the nation.

“Despite being undersized at 6-foot-1, 288 pounds, Durant plays with impressive power and uses his quickness to shoot gaps effectively, making him a disruptive force on the defensive line.”

Durant received high praise for the work he’s put in already this offseason from head strength coach Chuck Losey last week.

“Zane Durant, he’s a purpose-driven kid who’s had an unbelievable winter up to this point,” Losey said. “I fully expect him to be an even better version of who he was in 2024. That’s the way he’s working.”

In other news, official seed and bracket information is out for next week’s NCAA Wrestling Championships. You can find the latest on that in the headlines section below.

Headlines of the day

NCAA Wrestling Championships brackets: Which seed is each Penn State starter, and who will he face first?: Pickel, BWI

Penn State schedules spring visits with two recently offered 2026 recruits: Snyder, BWI

How will PSU address the vacancy in the middle of its defense?: Flounders, PennLive

Ranking the Penn State offensive positions before spring practice: Number four: Carr, BWI

Dabo Swinney refused to change, and we’re about to find out whether he was right: Staples, On3

Everything Penn State head strength coach Chuck Losey said after winter workouts: Pickel, BWI

When will four-star prospect Peyton Falzone return to Penn State for spring practice?: Snyder, BWI

How Penn State’s 2024 Transfer Portal wideout targets fared last fall: Fitz, BWI

Quote of the day

“I think all of them embraced it. They know exactly what the situation is. They understand the type of player that Kobe is and was for us. So they’re all hungry. I would say that they’re all incredibly hungry. And I’m not going to say that one of them stands out above the other, because I think the competition going on at that position, it’s very, very much alive.”

PSU strength coach Chuck Losey on the Lions’ competition at linebacker after Kobe Kine left for the NFL.