One of Penn State football’s starting defensive ends, Shareef Miller, announced his intentions to enter the NFL Draft on Wednesday.

Miller thanked his family, the Penn State coaching staff, and the Penn State fan base for the opportunities he was given as a collegiate athlete in a letter posted on Twitter.

Miller capped off a strong Penn State career by earning third team All Big-Ten honors. His final season in the Blue and White featured 33 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and seven sacks. Even with these strong of numbers, many would argue his presence was felt beyond the stat sheet. 

Miller is likely to be selected on the third day of the draft. Although being paired alongside Yetur Gross-Matos next year could potentially elevate his numbers and draft status, he decided to make the move to the next level early.

The Philadelphia native stepped up as a major defensive leader this season, mentoring many of the newcomers like Micah Parsons. He will certainly be missed in the locker room and on the field, as Sean Spencer will have his hands full in the offseason to replace his production.

Penn State will now turn to linemen like Shaka Toney, Shane Simmons, Daniel Joseph, and Jayson Oweh to fill the gap at defensive end next year alongside Gross-Matos.