Defensive tackle Zane Durant might not have had the senior season that he envisioned. But, the honorable mention all-conference player did end up his career by being drafted into the NFL.
Durant was taken 181st overall in the 5th round by the Buffalo Bills.
Heading into his senior year, Durant was a regular on many preseason All-American teams and award watch lists. He wound up playing a different role under one-year defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. Durant finished the season with 25 tackles, four
sacks, and an interception for the 7-6 Nittany Lions.
Often compared to former Lion Kevin Givens, another undersized defensive tackle with explosiveness, Durant started all 16 games in 2024 as Penn State advanced to the College Football Playoff semifinals. For that season, he had more than 40 tackles, three sacks, and was named the staff’s defensive player of the week three different times.
Durant also started 11 games as a sophomore back in 2023 and was a regular on the defensive line in a rotational role as a freshman in 2022. The three-star recruit out of Florida was a plug and play piece for the Nittany Lions from the time he set foot on campus, which is something he’ll try to do at the professional level, too.
Good luck Zane in your NFL career.
