INDIANAPOLIS– Zane Durant could have left Penn State last year.
The defensive tackle became a starter as a sophomore in 2023 and became one of Penn State’s best defensive players.
The next season, Durant was even better.
Coaches and media voted Durant an honorable mention All-Big Ten, and he probably deserved more respect. Durant was a menace for Penn State, ending the year with 42 tackles (22 solo), 11 tackles for loss, a pass breakup, and three sacks.
If Durant had declared for the Draft, nobody would have blamed him.
But like several of his classmates, such as Drew Allar, Nicholas Singleton and Dani Dennis-Sutton, Durant decided to come back, with the goal being to win a national championship.
It didn’t happen that way.
Over Durant’s first three seasons at Penn State, the team lost only eight of 42 games.
The 2025 team lost six times in less than two months.
Collectively, the team disappointed, and individually, Durant wasn’t happy with how he performed.
Durant was still productive and, in fact, ended the year with more sacks (four) and another honorable mention. But in roughly the same number of snaps (476 to 480), he had fewer tackles (25), fewer tackles for loss (4.5), and, per Pro Football Focus, fewer stops (15 compared to 24 the previous season).
As much as he wishes things could have been different, Durant feels that going through this adversity was the most beneficial thing he got out of staying at Penn State for his last season of eligibility.
“We did a lot of winning in my first three years,” Durant told reporters at the NFL Combine on Wednesday in Indianapolis. “So losing was a thing that I wasn’t really comfortable with or used to. So last year prepared me for the next step, and just being able to be aware before things happen and get too late.”
Durant and Penn State showcased their ability to battle back by ending the season with three straight wins.
“We just never gave up,” Durant said. “I always kept fighting. To what Penn State is and what they represent.
More than two months after Durant played his last college game, he went to Mobile, Alabama, for the Senior Bowl.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Here, he ended up showcasing what he does best, and having fun playing the game.
“I’m twitchy and explosive,” Durant said. “It shows off on tape. My get off, how fast I can get in and off my blocks, and also chase down the ball.
Durant wanted to show the NFL world who he was, and he feels that he did.
“I’m from Florida, so I’m a fast cat,” Durant said, “explosive, twitchy, and I’m very powerful. So I just want to show those guys who I am.”
So what feedback has Durant been getting from NFL scouts?
“My get off is the first thing they talk about,” he said. “My motor, they said, could be better, but they said everything that I play with, the fight that I play with, how fun I play, and the intensity I play with is something they’re excited about.”
Durant also said that areas of improvement included effort to the ball and run defense.
At under 300 pounds, Durant is considered slightly undersized.
But as Aaron Donald showed, “undersized” defensive tackles can be pretty effective.
Durant said Donald is one of the players he admires, along with Kenny Clark, Ed Oliver, Geno Atkins and NFL Hall of Famer John Randle.
Durant has been talking with several former teammates throughout the combine process, such as Chop Robinson (Miami Dolphins), Jaylen Reed (Houston Texans) and Kobe King (New York Jets).
At the end of the day, football is a game, and games are supposed to be fun.
Durant aims to get back to having fun and feels Penn State got caught up in the hype last season, “worrying about what the media says and higher expectations.”
“You have to block it out, man,” he said. “You have to play football for the love of the game. Keep it simple. Just have fun, man. We had too many guys worry about the wrong thing, and I’ll take (the blame) because I’m the captain of the team. But just playing ball, man. Have fun, playing free, playing fast.”
