Penn State has a star in the making in sophomore defensive tackle Zane Durant. He was able to take advantage of his playing opportunities last season. Now, in 2023 he is starting to find his groove. But the more success he has on the field the more he can do off the field. He has bigger goals and aspirations, he has utilized resources from his NIL funds to give back to his local community. Plus he realized how important it is to be a role model to the youth.

Zane Durant has started the 2023 season on a high note

The Nittany Lions have needed a player to step up on the interior defensive line and Zane Durant has done just that. Coming off of arguably the best game in his young Penn State career. Against Northwestern, Durant collected 4 tackles, including 3 tackles for loss, and 1 sack. This season he already has 11 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks through the first five games. If Durant can continue to produce at a high level, Penn State will be in great shape.

Durant is giving back and becoming a role model

Of course with more success on the field, opportunities grow off the field. Zane Durant has been able to be very unselfish with how he has utilized NIL. In an exclusive interview, he spoke about the impact of NIL and an event he put on this past summer.

Durant said, "This past summer I just gave back to the community with a free youth camp. Lake Nona, Flordia my high school I just gave back to all of the younger kids. I had a high school camp and an elementary through middle school camp this past summer. The camp was funded and sponsored by some businesses that helped me with NIL my mom, my dad, and my sister helped me set up this camp. At Lake Nona, we got in contact with some of the coaches back at my high school and we just invited everybody."

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He also spoke about his influence as a role model, "It means a lot to me being a role model to everybody in Lake Nona. Growing up I didn't really look up to anybody so I had sisters that were older than me I just wanted to be like them and my dad as much as possible. So, me being that figure for other kids means a lot to me.

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Exclusive player insights, presented by HVU On-Demand

If you enjoyed this exclusive content, stay tuned for more exclusive insights throughout the 2023 season. HVU On-Demand will be providing exclusive access to player interviews and other content throughout the fall as part of the brand-new partnership between Happy Valley United, Up on Game, and Basic Blues Nation.

This initiative aims to promote NIL opportunities for the over 800 Penn State student-athletes represented by Happy Valley United and provide you with exclusive behind-the-scenes insights from your favorite Nittany Lions.

To donate, please visit Happy Valley United’s website. We Are!