Penn State DE Nick Tarburton declares for NFL Draft

On Saturday night, Penn State defensive end Nick Tarburton announced that the Rose Bowl would be his final game as a Nittany Lion. The redshirt senior will forgo his sixth and final year of eligibility and enter the NFL Draft this spring.

He joins cornerback Joey Porter Jr and wide receiver Parker Washington as Nittany Lions who have decided to forgo year(s) of eligibility to enter the draft since the end of the regular season. So far, only Porter Jr. has decided to opt-out of the Nittany Lions bowl game.

The 2018 signee played 34 games over his five years in Happy Valley, recording 50 tackles including 10 tackles for a loss and three sacks. This season, Tarburton had a quality year while being a starter for the Nittany Lions opposite Adisa Isaac. In his 12 games, he would record 18 tackles including a career-high 5.5 tackles for a loss and two sacks. He also recorded two pass deflections, one forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.

While Tarburton's departure will be a hit to the depth of the defensive line room, the Nittany Lions are still expected to return the strong trio of Adisa Isaac, Chop Robinson, and Dani Dennis-Sutton.

They're also currently set to return Amin Vanover and Zuriah Fisher. Vanover played in 12 games this season for the Nittany Lions while Fisher played in a pair of games after working his way back from a knee injury during the offseason.

Notably, Taburton to leave the program this month as Davon Townley also announced his departure via the transfer portal.