Penn State football's Vega Ioane opts out of Pinstripe Bowl

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Penn State football loses another two-year starter ahead of the Pinstripe Bowl as Vega Ioane announced that he is opting out of the season finale to focus on the NFL Draft.

Ioane has started 32 games in his career for the Nittany Lions, including the last 27 in the 2024 and 2025 seasons, respectively.

Ioane is the first player of the four opt outs that has college eligibility after the 2025 season, but as one of the top interior offensive line prospects in the upcoming draft, it was all but certain the redshirt junior would not return to State College.

He joins Nick Singleton, Zakee Wheatley and Zane Durant, all of whom were seniors, as players who have opted out of the Pinstripe Bowl against Clemson inside Yankee Stadium. With the game less than two weeks away, the expectation is that those who don’t opt out before the end of the week will play in New York.

Opt-outs aside, the Pinstripe Bowl will be an opportunity for the younger players to see more playing time with several players forgoing the game, whether it’s to prepare for the draft, or in the case of Elliot Washington II, to go ahead and start the transfer portal process.

For some, the opportunity to play is a chance to show the coaching staff they deserve to be a part of the future plans. For others, it’s a chance to get some quality film before entering the portal in early January. Either way, those who take the field will have something to play for.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Penn State football’s Vega Ioane opts out of Pinstripe Bowl

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