Penn State's Zane Durant Announces Return to Nittany Lions for 2025

The All-Big Ten defensive tackle will be a pillar of Penn State's front next season.
Penn State Nittany Lions defensive tackle Zane Durant (28) celebrates with the Heisman pose after defeating the Boise State Broncos during the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium.
Penn State Nittany Lions defensive tackle Zane Durant (28) celebrates with the Heisman pose after defeating the Boise State Broncos during the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Zane Durant, Penn State's All-Big Ten defensive end and one of the team's most impactful players, announced Saturday that he will return for the Nittany Lions in 2025. Durant, a junior, has one season of eligibility remaining and represents an important pillar of Penn State's future defensive line. "Let's do it," Durant wrote in a social media post.

"It's been a tremendous ride these past three years," Durant said. "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."

On a defensive line with star ends Abdul Carter and Dani Dennis-Sutton, who combined for 36.5 tackles for loss this season, Durant was the disruptive interior presence who allowed them to finish plays. Durant generated a combination of quickness and power that opposing players and coaches often mentioned in pregame scouting.

"I would like to be that guy's agent," former Boise State offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter said of Durant before the Fiesta Bowl. "He's got a crazy combination of quickness and power. And I think that guy is very disruptive on the inside."

"To me, Zane Durant, No. 28, he's a baller," Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty added. "He's explosive, man, getting off blocks. Not too many D-linemen have shifts to make the mid guys miss and being forced in the run game and getting to the quarterback. Then you see his effort. He's chasing down on the backside of plays, making plays for his team. So he's just a great all-around player."

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Durant made 26 percent of his tackles for loss this season, finishing third on the team with 11 TFLs. He also recorded three sacks and four quarterback hurries. Durant was named honorable mention All-Big Ten, perhaps underrating his value to the Nittany Lions' defense. At least Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Allen thought so.

"He's such an explosive, dynamic guy at that position," Allen said before the Orange Bowl. "We talk to coaches after we play them and oftentimes, he's the guy that was so disruptive, he's the one they couldn't block, he's the one that caused a lot of the issues. He's a really, really good player and maybe doesn't get talked about enough."

Former Penn State defensive tackle Dvon J-Thomas, who played alongside Durant for two seasons, called him "freakish" and a mismatch, traits that Durant will carry into 2025. Durant became the second Penn State defensive starter to announce his return, joining safety Zakee Wheatley.

"I was showing a recruit here last week [film] of our defensive line and I said, 'This isn't a highlight tape of 28,' but it looked like it was," Allen said. "... It was just play after play of him playing in the offense's backfield. So I just think that he fits everything we do. And obviously he's just a huge part of our defense."

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Mark Wogenrich
MARK WOGENRICH

Mark Wogenrich is Editor and Publisher of AllPennState, the site for Penn State news on SI's FanNation Network. He has covered Penn State sports for more than two decades across three coaching staffs and three Rose Bowls.