Penn State defensive end Nick Tarburton has declared for the 2023 NFL Draft but will participate in the Nittany Lions’ upcoming Rose Bowl game against Utah. He announced the decision this weekend though his social media channels.
“I can’t wait to go to battle one last time with you all in the Rose Bowl,” Tarburton said. “With that being said, I am going to take that next step in my journey [and] chase my dreams in the NFL.”
As a redshirt senior, Tarburton had the ability to extend his time at Penn State due to an NCAA ruling that allowed all student-athletes to extend their career by one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As the announcement makes evident, Tarburton will not take advantage of the additional year.
After a fairly quiet season in 2020, Tarburton made his name known in 2021, starting in eight games while appearing in 13 for Penn State. Over that span he registered 30 tackles, a sack, a fumble recovery, and two pass breakups. In 2022 Tarburton started in nine games, recording 12 tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. Tarburton is the third Nittany Lion to announce his early departure, after Parker Washington and Joey Porter Jr. declared for the NFL Draft in the past few weeks.
