While Penn State and its fans still are feeling the sting of Thursday night's 27-24 heartbreaking loss in the College Football Playoff semifinal against Notre Dame, the Nittany Lions received good news on Saturday morning.

Junior defensive tackle Zane Durant, an imposing and at times dominant force in the middle of the Nittany Lions' defensive line is returning for his senior season.

"Thank you Nittany Nation, It's been a tremendous ride these past three years," Durant said in a statement. "I'm thankful for all my teammates; I'm thankful for Coach Barnes and Coach Allen. I want to thank my Pop and Mom for helping me through this process. I thank the Lord for guiding me. With that being said, Penn State I'm coming back. #WeAre"

This season, Durant recorded 42 tackles including a career-high 11 tackles for loss and three sacks for the Nittany Lions in 16 games played. He also had one pass deflection on the year.

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