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Penn State safety Lamont Wade declares for the NFL draft

Wade, who was named third-team All-Big Ten in the media voting, started 22 straight games in his final two years with the Nittany Lions. He also scored on a 100-yard kickoff return this season.

Ohio State wide receiver Garrett Wilson dives for a pass as Penn State safety Lamont Wade defends.
Ohio State wide receiver Garrett Wilson dives for a pass as Penn State safety Lamont Wade defends.Read moreBarry Reeger / AP

Penn State safety Lamont Wade announced on Twitter that he will declare for the 2021 NFL draft rather than take the extra year of eligibility offered by the NCAA for playing this past season.

Wade, who moved from cornerback to safety after his sophomore season, started all 22 games of his junior and senior years. In 2020, he tied for fifth on the team with 37 tackles and recovered two fumbles. He returned kickoffs late in the season and scored on a 100-yard return against Illinois.

Wade, of Clairton, Pa., was named third-team All-Big Ten in media voting.

He is the fifth Nittany Lions player to come out for this year’s draft, joining defensive ends Shaka Toney (Imhotep Charter) and Jayson Oweh, tight end Pat Freiermuth and offensive lineman Will Fries.

In other Penn State football news, quarterback Micah Bowens, who did not see any game action in his first season with the program, has entered the NCAA transfer portal, according to reports by Rivals and 247Sports. Bowens was the youngest of four scholarship quarterbacks on the 2020 roster.