LOOK: Penn State linebacker makes major announcement about his future

The Penn State Nittany Lions have the opportunity to send the season with two wins against SEC opponents, facing off against Arkansas on Jan. 1 in the Outback Bowl. However, they will be doing so without one of their best defensive players.

Linebacker Brandon Smith announced he will be leaving Penn State a year early and heading to the NFL. He announced his decision via Twitter, releasing a statement thanking the Nittany Lions.

“I am going to forgo my senior season and the bowl game and declare for the 2022 NFL Draft,” Smith said. “I will continue to work hard and do my best to represent my school and my family to the best of my ability on and off the field. We Are Penn State! Thank You for the memories and smiles, I am thankful for my time here.”

#WeAre 🦁🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/Lt19QWOhiR

— Brandon Smith (@brand0n_smith12) December 17, 2021

Smith was a five-star prospect according to the On3 Consensus coming out of high school. He ranked inside the top 25 nationally and was the top player from the state of Virginia. Living up to the hype during his time at Penn State, Smith will leave with 132 tackles, 19 tackles for a loss, four sacks, and an interception over three years.

Penn State DC Manny Diaz reveals when James Franklin reached out

Linebacker is not the only place Penn State will have a fresh face going into the 2022 season. After losing defensive coordinator Brandon Pry to Virginia Tech, Manny Diaz will take over, coming via the Miami Hurricanes.

Diaz spoke to the media on Friday, explaining what the past week has been like from his perspective. Then, he revealed what his conversation with head coach James Franklin was like and why he chose the Nittany Lions.

“Last week was a whirlwind,” Diaz said on PSU TV. “The days, they all seem to run together. It was sometime middle of last week. It was hard for me to wrap my brain around, ‘Hey, listen, at what point are you going to jump back into this thing?’ To coach defense at Penn State, to coach linebackers at Penn State, that’s uncommon. People work in this profession their entire lives and wish they had the chance to coach here and especially to coach defensive linebackers.

“The more [Franklin and I] spoke and what his vision was and how he operated and the values that we he was about, I think we found that we were aligned. There was already an alignment defensively, and it ticked all the boxes.”