Though he was out of college eligibility anyway, starting Penn State defensive tackle Dvon J-Thomas made his declaration for the NFL Draft official Sunday night.
In a message posted to social media, J-Thomas expressed his love for the university he spent six years at and thanked many along his journey.
“To my Penn State family, first I would like to thank God. He is so great. Next, I would like to thank my family and my loved ones who have helped me get as far as I have,” J-Thomas wrote. “Thank you Penn State for the good, the bad and the ugly. Every moment I’ve spent at Penn State has shaped me into the person and player I am today. The memories, lessons and relationships I’ve built here will stay with me forever. Penn State will always hold a special place in my heart and I’ll never forget what this program, this school and this community have done for me.”
In 2024, J-Thomas started all 16 games and came away with 35 tackles, four tackles for loss and half of a sack.
J-Thomas came to Penn State as a four-star prospect and the No. 20 defensive tackle in the country in the class of 2019. He finished this season as one of Penn State’s most dynamic personalities. In both highs and lows, he was an expert with teammates, the media or anyone who crossed his path. Alongside center Nick Dawkins, J-Thomas often had been labeled as the “mayor of State College” because of his character. He even became a frequent attendee at other Penn State sporting events, such as men’s basketball.
“Everybody has fun with the family’s winning. We’re all winning right now. Our girls’ volleyball team, they just won the national championship. Our boys’ team is undefeated at home. And, I mean, we’re doing well, thank God,” J-Thomas said during Penn State’s College Football Playoff run. “But everybody’s winning, everybody’s having a good time. Penn State Athletics should be overjoyed right now with the way our sports teams are playing at such a high level.”
J-Thomas had the opportunity to enter the NFL Draft last season but decided to come back to Happy Valley in 2024 with designs on reaching new heights as a program. Penn State did just that, finally bowing out in a three-point loss in the national semifinal in the Orange Bowl. J-Thomas was a big part of that, and his presence — and personality — won’t soon be forgotten in Happy Valley.
“Dvon’s been awesome for all 11 years that I’ve had with him at Penn State,” James Franklin joked at the Big Ten championship. “He’s been with me the entire time.”