Penn State DE Ryan Buchholz Retires Due To Injury Concerns

This offseason has already seen health concerns force the retirement of Penn State players Nana Asiedu and Jake Zembiec.

You can now add redshirt junior defensive end Ryan Buchholz to that list.

Buchholz, a presumed starter, announced via on Twitter on Wednesday that he was retiring from football due to recurring back injuries.

The four-star recruit out of Malvern, PA native proved to be a force in 2017 before missing time due to a knee injury. He was expected by many to start opposite Shareef Miller in 2018.

Adding to the injury issues, we still have yet to receive word on the status of Torrence Brown who missed the majority of the 2017 season after a torn ACL suffered against Georgia State. Many anticipate Brown will not return to the field in 2018.

Though Penn State has built good depth at the defensive end position, it’s still a tough blow for Brent Pry and defensive line coach Sean Spencer.

Yetur Gross-Matos is likely the next man up for Penn State at strong side defensive end, though Shane Simmons and true freshman Jason Oweh should challenge for time as well.