At the end of every college football season, players across the nation make the decision to chase their dreams by declaring for the NFL Draft — a choice that welcomes months of evaluation and endless speculation.

After spending five seasons in Happy Valley, Penn State football defensive tackle Coziah Izzard made his decision to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft.

“I felt like I was ready. I have years of film, and I talked to my family. I thought it was the best decision to take the next step,” Izzard told Onward State.

After the Nittany Lions’ season concluded in January, Izzard flew out to Colorado to prepare for Penn State’s Pro Day, training with KNGDM Sports Performance. He underwent a rigorous three-month training regimen so he could perform at a high level in front of NFL evaluators.

During Penn State’s Pro Day, Izzard stood out. The longtime Nittany Lion defensive tackle measured in at 6’3″ and 305 pounds, while clocking a 4.81 40-yard dash.

“The 40 was really important to me. I knew that was important for defensive tackles, so I did anything I could to prepare myself. My goal was to run a 4.7, but I was just shy of that,” Izzard said.

Izzard’s 40-yard dash time would have ranked as the fastest defensive tackle at this year’s NFL Combine. His 25 bench press reps and 33.5-inch vertical jump would have placed top five in the position as well, had he received an invitation to Indianapolis.

The Laurel, Maryland, native ranked as the 679th overall prospect in the 2025 Consensus Draft Board and has been projected to begin his professional career as an undrafted free agent.

“I don’t pay attention to it. I see the projections, but I don’t really care about that. I had a good Pro Day, I got film, I know I should be drafted,” Izzard said. “You don’t want to get into the noise that’s out there. In that league, when you get there, just make sure you stay there.”

Throughout his last season at Penn State, Izzard began carrying himself as a professional inside Penn State’s facilities. That mindset continued to grow during his time with KNGDM, according to his trainer, Taylor Nelson-Cook.

“He overcame a lot just from the pro mindset of things,” Nelson-Cook said. “A lot of guys, when they get in this, they get catered to. KNGDM isn’t a place that caters to individuals. He learned how to take care of himself. He was on his own in a completely different state.”

“I think he learned how to be a professional through all this, and I’m super proud of him for that,” he added.

Izzard’s time in Colorado paid off. His impressive Pro Day performance garnered him attention from several NFL teams, such as the Baltimore Ravens, Jacksonville Jaguars, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, and Kansas City Chiefs.

“I talked to the Chiefs a lot. I recently had a 30 visit with them,” Izzard said. “They had me walk around the facility, talk with the coaches, and meet everybody. It was a pretty good visit.

“It’s a fun process, being able to travel to all these different teams. Seeing the different environments, cities, and meeting the different coaches and seeing their different kinds of coaching styles,” Izzard said.

As he embarks on the next chapter of his football career, Izzard reflected fondly on his time at Penn State and the relationships he built along the way.

“Penn State is a great place, a special place. I wouldn’t have ever went anywhere else. It really is a brotherhood there, it’s really a family,” he said.

Izzard has kept in touch with his now-former teammates, noting that many Nittany Lions continue to check in on one another throughout the draft process.

“We all have each other’s numbers, we all talk to each other. I just hit up Dvon [J-Thomas], making sure he was straight with everything and seeing how his process went. I talked to Jaylen Reed, and he said his process was going great. It’s just great hearing about everyone’s process.”

As the NFL Draft approaches, Izzard is still figuring out ways he can improve his play for his next team.

“Staying low and being consistent with my game, that’s big on me. I just want to be consistent with all the things I do on a daily basis.”

The NFL Draft begins at 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 24, and ends on Saturday, April 26, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. All seven rounds will be televised on ESPN and the NFL Network.