Redshirt super senior Dvon J-Thomas is heading to the NFL draft after his six-year career in Happy Valley with 60 appearances and 26 starts from 2019-24.

When Dvon J-Thomas arrived at Penn State in 2019, he probably didn’t expect that he’d be around in Happy Valley for a 12-team College Football Playoff run in 2024 and into 2025, but pandemic eligibility lengthened plenty of careers across the sport. Now, after six seasons as a Nittany Lions, the redshirt senior has announced that he is heading for the NFL, declaring for the 2025 NFL draft.

The 6-foot-1 305-pound defensive lineman had his best season in Year 6, his fourth consecutive season with over 250 defensive snaps. J-Thomas posted a career-high with 29 tackles and 12 quarterback pressures, though he finished the year with just one sack. He finishes his career as a Nittany Lion with 60 appearances and 26 starts, making him a massive loss, not just for his impact on the field, but also his experience in the defensive line room under coach Deion Barnes.

Penn State will be losing a lot of depth along the defensive line this offseason with J-Thomas, Coziah Izzard, Amin Vanover, and Alonzo Ford Jr. all exhausting their final year of eligibility in 2024, and Abdul Carter heading to the NFL Draft as a likely top-10 selection. That reality made the news that junior star defensive tackle Zane Durant is returning to Happy Valley for his senior season in 2025, even more significant. Among that group, Durant was second in snaps to Carter and J-Thomas was third.

J-Thomas now joins Carter, Jaylen Reed, Jalen Kimber, and Kevin Winston Jr. as the first Nittany Lions from the 2024 roster to officially declare for this spring’s draft. More announcements are expected to come throughout this week, especially on the offensive side of the ball with tight end Tyler Warren out of eligibility and running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen facing a serious crossroads after their historic junior campaigns.