In a less than surprising move, offesnive lineman Ryan Bates has announced that he will forgo his senior season at Penn State and will enter the NFL Draft.

The past three seasons Bates has been a huge part of the Nittany Lions’ offensive line. A strong argument can be made that he has been the team’s best offensive lineman since becoming a starter as a redshirt freshman in 2016.

As a redshirt freshman in 2016, Bates started all 14 games playing both left guard and left tackle. His play led to him being named a Freshman All-American by both the USA Today and Football Writers Association of America. In 2017 and 2018 Bates started games at both left and right tackle for the Nittany Lions. While he can play inside or out at the next level, he projects best as a guard where he can excel as a pro.

We wish Ryan all the best as he prepares for the next step of his journey.