Penn State offensive tackle Donovan Smith has decided to declare for this year’s upcoming NFL Draft. A redshirt junior, Smith will forego his final year of eligibility at Penn State.
A former U.S. Army All-American in high school, the 6’5 340 pound offensive tackle made 31 career starts over his three seasons. On Twitter, the redshirt junior stated:
“Feels like yesterday that I was sitting at the table talking with the greatest college football coach in history Joseph Vincent Paterno. I promised him and my family that I would get my degree. After achieving one of my life goals of receiving a degree from Penn State. After achieving one of my life goals of receiving a degree from The Pennsylvania State University, I feel it’s time to continue the pursuit of my dream of becoming a NFL player. The past four years have been a physical and emotional roller coaster, but have ultimately made me a better man.”
The loss will be a big one for the Nittany Lions who struggled consistently in the trenches this past season. By losing Smith, Penn State will now be without their two top linemen next season, center Miles Dieffenbach and Smith. However, the Nittany Lions were able to bring in a strong recruiting class in 2015 which features several premier linemen. Offensive tackles Paris Palmer and Sterling Jenkins are both enrolling at Penn State this January and will look to replace Smith’s production.
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