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Which Penn State defender is a 2025 PFF preseason All-American?

Greg Pickelby:Greg Pickel•04/30/25•

GregPickel

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Penn State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. (Credit: Ryan Snyder | Blue White Illustrated)

By the time the final preseason All-American teams roll out, Penn State is likely to have multiple players listed on them. For the time being, though, only one Nittany Lion is on one of the first lists of the year. He plays for Jim Knowles’ defense.

Senior defensive tackle Zane Durant is one of two interior defenders listed on Pro Football Focus’ 2025 preseason All-American team. He’s joined by Clemson’s Peter Woods. Woods shares a spot on the team with Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik. Durant is the lone Lion on the list.

“Durant lived in opposing backfields last year, both as a pass rusher and as a run defender,” Max Chadwick writes. “He led all FBS interior defenders with 14 tackles for loss/no-gain in 2024, while his 28 pressures were a top-25 mark in the nation. 

“Durant packs a punch despite being undersized (6-foot-1, 288 pounds) and has excellent quickness to shoot gaps.”

Durant set for big final season at Penn State

Expected to be a force on the field this year, Durant has also taken a step forward in the leadership department this offseason, according to his head coach, who rattled off some of the program’s leaders after the Blue-White game and included the defensive tackle.

“It has been good because a lot of the guys that have been significant leaders are back,” Franklin said. “Nick Dawkins is as good of a leader by example as any that I’ve been around in my 30 years. When your starting quarterback is back and has started for three years, Drew [Allar] is taking significant steps there. On the defensive side, Zane Durant has been that type of leader for us for a while. Zakee Wheatley is stepping into that role as well, so is Dani Dennis-Sutton. Dominic DeLuca has been a captain for like seven years now, so we did lose some significant leadership, but we have a lot of guys that have been a part of that role as well.”

Durant is one of the many Penn State players on that list who elected to come back for a final year in college before heading to the NFL. He will anchor the Lions’ defensive line alongside Dennis-Sutton. His play has always been more important to the team’s defense than his stat sheet might indicate. That could very well be the case again in 2025. But, the early recognition from PFF is a sign that, despite being underappreciated in previous years, that should not be the case again this fall. And, even if it is, the Florida native is OK with that.

“As long as I know what I’m doing and winning and causing havoc, that’s all I want to do,” Durant said this spring.

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