UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Junior defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos (Spotsylvania, Va.) has decided to forgo his senior season and has declared for the 2020 NFL Draft.
"First, I would like to thank all of my coaches, the football staff, the academic support folks and my athletic trainers for all they have done to help me succeed while at Penn State," Gross-Matos said. "I will always be grateful to have formed the amazing relationships here at Penn State with my classmates, teammates, and staff that will last me a lifetime."
"I am so appreciative of Coach Franklin and Coach Spencer for the opportunity to come to an outstanding university like Penn State. Even though I am leaving, I have promised my family and Coach Franklin that I will continue to pursue my Penn State degree.
"I would like to thank my family for everything they have done and everything they continue to do each and every day, for without their support none of this would be possible.
"Lastly, I would like to thank the Penn State fans. The love in Beaver Stadium has been ridiculous and will never be forgotten. I look forward to suiting up for the Blue & White one final time in our bowl game."
"Yetur has grown so much as a football player, leader and young man during his time at Penn State," Head Coach James Franklin said. "He has been a shining example of resiliency for his teammates and our staff for the way he has handled adversity in his life. We couldn't be more proud of him and appreciate everything he has done for our program. We wish him nothing but the best in the NFL!"
A two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection, Gross-Matos has been instrumental in helping the Nittany Lion defense to be among the best in the country. He has 14.0 tackles for loss, including 8.5 sacks, in 11 games this season. For his career, Gross-Matos has 36.0 TFL and 18.0 sacks as part of his 110 tackles. He was the team's Reid-Robinson Award winner as the most outstanding lineman in 2018 and was an honorable-mention All-Freshman Team selection by BTN.com in 2017.
In 2018, Gross-Matos became the 11th Nittany Lion to record 20 tackles for loss in a season (12th occasion). His 20 TFL from last season rank tied for No. 8 on Penn State's single-season TFL chart with Bruce Clark (1978), Todd Atkins (1994), LaVar Arrington (1999) and Aaron Maybin (2008).
As a junior, Gross-Matos ranks No. 7 in the Big Ten and No. 27 nationally in tackles for loss per game (1.3) and is No. 5 in the conference and No. 23 in FBS in sacks per game (0.77). He also had seven quarterback hurries on the year. He was a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award this season and was a Sporting News Midseason All-American. He collected Pro Football Focus Big Ten Team of the Week accolades three times this season (Michigan State, Iowa, Buffalo).
For information on joining the Nittany Lion Club and reserving new 2020 season tickets, as well as club seating in Beaver Stadium, fans can visit www.PSUnrivaled.com, call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. or visit the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office weekdays from 9 a.m-4:30 p.m.
