OL Ryan Bates will forgo senior season for NFL Draft

Junior offensive lineman Ryan Bates announced late Wednesday afternoon that he'll be joining teammates Shareef Miller and Connor McGovern in leaving Penn State early for the 2019 NFL Draft.

"Ryan has made so many contributions to our program in his three years as a starter," said head coach James Franklin. "He has been a great teacher for younger guys in the offensive line room. We are so proud he graduated with his degree in Labor and Employment Relations in December. We wish him the best of luck at the next level and couldn't be more proud of Ryan and what he's accomplished."

Bates earned third-team All-Big Ten honors by both the coaches and media in 2017 and 2018. He started all 14 games as a redshirt freshman in 2016, where he earned Freshman All-American honors by the Football Writers Association and USA Today.

Over the past three seasons, Bates made 35 starts for the Nittany Lions. He missed just three games due to injury in 2017.