Nick Tarburton Declares for NFL Draft, Will Play in Rose Bowl

In case you missed it yesterday, starting defensive end Nick Tarburton announced via his Instagram account that he will forgo his final year of eligibility (granted via the NCAA’s blanket waiver during the COVID season) and enter the 2023 NFL Draft. However, he will still play in the Nittany Lions’ upcoming Rose Bowl game against Utah on January 2nd.

In today’s college football where opt-outs have become quite common, it’s not often that you see a player declare for the NFL Draft, yet still play the bowl game. You can probably credit that mainly to the fact that none of the current players on the roster were around the last time the Nittany Lions played in the Rose Bowl (not even Sean Clifford).

Thus far, Joey Porter Jr. remains the only opt-out for PSU and it seems increasingly likely that he will remain so. Parker Washington declared for the NFL Draft last week, but he has been out with a season-ending injury since November. Meanwhile, guys such as Ji’Ayir Brown and Mitchell Tinsley who are out of eligibility have confirmed they will play in the Rose Bowl.