BREAKING: Standout Penn State football defender announces return 2025

Less than 48 hours out from its Orange Bowl loss to Notre Dame, Penn State football shifts its focus to the 2025 season. The Nittany Lions received some notable news on that front to kick off the weekend, as standout defensive end Zane Durant announced his plans to return for his senior season.

“Thank you Nittany Nation. It’s been a tremendous ride these past three years,” Durant wrote on x Saturday morning. “I’m thankful for all my teammates. I’m thankful for Coach [Deion] Barnes and Coach [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 was third on the team with 11 tackles for loss this season. He finished his junior campaign with 42 tackles and three sacks.

The Lake Nona, Florida, native has started 28 games over his three year Penn State football career. A former four-star, he has recorded 64 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, and six sacks as a Nittany Lion.

Penn State football NFL Draft tracker

Zane Durant becomes the third Nittany Lion to announce his return to Penn State football for 2025, joining quarterback Drew Allar and safety Zakee Wheatley. As a senior leader, Durant will be an anchor along the Nittany Lion defensive front, part of a unit that ranked ninth against the run with 101.9 yards allowed per game in 2024.

To date, the following Nittany Lions have announced their decisions regarding the 2025 NFL Draft. The deadline to declare is January 15.

Outgoing:

KJ Winston, S – declared for NFL Draft on December 12.

Abdul Carter, DE – declared for NFL Draft on January 10.

Returning:

Drew Allar, QB – announced return on December 16.

Zakee Wheatley, S – announced return on December 23.

Zane Durant, DT – announced return on January 11.

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