Zane Durant was part of one of the most anticipated recruiting classes in Penn State history.
The 2022 class was headlined by QB Drew Allar, RBs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen and LB-turned-DE Abdul Carter.
Being a three-star recruit, Durant was overshadowed, and to an extent, he still is.
As a sophomore, Durant became a regular starter on a unit that ended the season No. 1 in the county in total defense. Himself a unit at 288 pounds, Durant progressed into a key contributor capable of making some impact plays at the defensive tackle position. Now, he’s going into Year 3, and he’s the latest subject of All 105, a Nittany Sports Now series profiling each Penn State football player.
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 288 pounds
Hometown: Lake Nona, Florida
Before Penn State: Zane Durant played football all four years at Lake Nona High School and was a two-time team captain. Durant finished his senior season with 66 tackles, a school-record 15 sacks, 28 tackles for loss and 38 quarterback hurries. Durant also set Lake Nona’s records for career sacks and tackles and has the school’s shot-put record. He also placed eighth in the state as a junior. 247Sports, Rivals, On3 and ESPN all had Durant as a four-star recruit. He committed to Penn State on the Fourth of July in 2021, choosing coach James Franklin’s program over Auburn, Indiana and Miami, among others.
2022: Durant played in all 13 games, ending the season with five tackles and one sack, which took place against Maryland Nov. 12.
Last year: With team leader P.J. Mustipher moving onto the NFL, Penn State needed somebody to step up at defensive tackle. Durant became that guy. He started 11 of 13 games, ending the season with 17 tackles (12 solo), two sacks, 5.5 tackles for loss, a fumble recovery and a quarterback hurry. At the end of the season, the media named him All-Big Ten honorable mention.
Where he stands: Durant proved last season that he’s good enough to start in the Big Ten. Now, the big question is if he’ll be good enough to where declaring for the NFL Draft— which he’ll be able to do this season, as it is his third year of eligibility. If Durant takes the next step, that would do wonders for a Penn State defense which should again rank amongst America’s best.
A quote by Durant: “I learned that I’m able to persevere through anything.” — Durant on his first season at Penn State, via Johnny McGonigal of PennLive.
A quote about Durant: ”I’ve been a big fan of Zane’s really since he arrived on campus. He’s approached it the right way. It’s not easy to play D-tackle as a true freshman and he was able to do that. I thought he had a chance to take a significant step this year and I think he’s doing that.
He’s a smart guy, he’s a consistent guy, he’s a disciplined guy. We talk about being high-production and low-maintenance — he’s that.
I’m proud of him. His parents did a great job raising him, he came from a really good high school program. But we need him to continue making his presence felt out there.” — Coach James Franklin on Zane Durant after his performance at Northwestern last September in which he had three tackles for loss and a sack.
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