STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — James Franklin hates surprises. After the regular season concluded, Penn State’s football coaches were slated to meet with their position groups, and those conversations have likely helped reaffirm who plans to be here next season and who plans to move on.
Penn State won’t turn a blind end to the transfer portal, but it also knows there’s a strong nucleus in place. The Nittany Lions don’t need to flip their roster; they just need to add to it here and there.
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“We’re trying to create the most competitive roster that we possibly can and our players understand that,” Franklin said. “We told them that when we recruited them: Whether it’s high school or whether it’s transfer portal guys, we just want to create as much competition as we possibly can in the locker room and go from there.”
Upgrading certain positions is key, but making sure Penn State brings in the right kinds of players, ones who Franklin said fit the culture, has always been part of the transfer portal process. With the dust settled on the first day of the December transfer portal window (which runs through Jan. 2), here’s an update on where Penn State stands.
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Day 1 entrants
Penn State had two players enter the portal on Monday, and neither was much of a surprise. Punter Alex Bacchetta was the first Penn State player to enter the transfer portal during this window. Last winter, Franklin brought in Florida Atlantic transfer Riley Thompson, who beat out Bacchetta in August. The addition of Thompson spoke volumes about the staff’s desire to upgrade the position. It remains unclear if the Australian punter still has eligibility remaining. So, either Penn State might need to find another punter this offseason or perhaps Bacchetta’s departure is a hint that the Nittany Lions could have Thompson back next season. We’ll see.
I would like to thank Penn State and the entire staff for the past 2 years. I’m incredibly thankful for all the memories and experiences with my teammates over these two seasons. I wish Penn State the absolute best. I have entered the transfer portal with 3 years remaining. pic.twitter.com/WMfEOIWX1M
— Alex Bacchetta (@AlexBacchetta) December 4, 2023
Wide receiver Cristian Driver also entered the portal on Monday. During his two seasons in Happy Valley, the son of former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Donald Driver switched from safety to wide receiver. This season, his first as a receiver here, Driver’s impact with the offense was limited to 27 snaps, per TruMedia. He also played occasionally on special teams, where he registered 21 snaps. Given Penn State’s desire to upgrade the receiving corps, Driver would’ve been an intriguing option to have in the mix this offseason. Still, Penn State has no shortage of unproven players in the receiving corps, and attrition was likely inevitable as it prepares to target receivers in the portal again.
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As always, keep in mind players can enter the portal and still elect to return to their current school if the school wants them back. Defensive lineman Davon Townley Jr. did just that last offseason and is still here. However, for the time being both Bacchetta and Driver have been deleted from Penn State’s roster, likely signaling their plans to move on.
What to do at wide receiver
The Nittany Lions need wide receivers. Much like last offseason, it’s a position that’s a glaring weakness for the offense, and how well it fills the need will have a direct impact on how the 2024 season unfolds. As of Monday, nearly 150 receivers had entered their name in the transfer portal.
One name of interest that Penn State should be intrigued by is Ohio State wide receiver Julian Fleming. The five-star prospect from Southern Columbia High School in Pennsylvania had Penn State among his finalists when he chose the Buckeyes in 2019. Fleming announced Monday he plans to enter the portal. When Penn State lost to Ohio State this year, it was easy to wonder if Fleming would’ve been the No. 1 receiver had he picked Penn State over Ohio State.
Thank you Buckeye Nation! pic.twitter.com/THoa38vXji
— Julian Fleming (@julian_040) December 4, 2023
Injuries have been a problem, and Fleming hasn’t produced numbers that reflect that star-studded background. He had 26 receptions for 270 yards this season and 34 receptions for 533 yards and six touchdowns in 2022. Still, there’s little doubt that a healthy Fleming — not overshadowed by Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka — could help this Penn State receiving corps. Is it an option? The Nittany Lions would be wise to revisit his recruitment.
What Penn State needs to be pitching to every portal target is new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki and the belief that Drew Allar’s second season as a starter is going to help propel receivers into the NFL. There could be a lot of targets up for grabs here. Whether or not KeAndre Lambert-Smith is back for another year will be one of the most impactful decisions for this team. But regardless of what he does, Penn State needs to add at least two receivers this offseason — and hope for a bigger impact than what Malik McClain and Dante Cephas did in 2023.
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Another potentially interesting connection is with FIU wide receiver Kris Mitchell. The older brother of Penn State commit Jon Mitchell, who is set to sign this month, Kris Mitchell caught 64 passes for 1,118 yards and seven touchdowns this season. There’s another sibling, Nic, who plays football at Mississippi State, and the eldest brother played football at Harvard. So, it’s safe to say that not all the Mitchell brothers will end up in the same place, but Penn State should be more familiar with the family than most. Whether or not that will matter is a different story. Kris, who has one year of eligibility remaining, visited Notre Dame this past weekend.
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Penn State typically likes to be involved with players it recruited out of high school. That familiarity can’t hurt, and a player who would check that familiarity box is Notre Dame transfer Chris Tyree. Once a running back prospect out of Virginia, who was recruited to Penn State by Ja’Juan Seider, Tyree caught 26 passes for 484 yards and three touchdowns this season, his fourth at Notre Dame.
Two other receivers who are among the most sought-after already are Ja’Mori Maclin of North Texas and Deion Burks of Purdue. Maclin caught 57 passes for 1,004 yards and 11 touchdowns this season. Burks, who was with the Boilermakers for three seasons, had 47 receptions for 629 yards and seven touchdowns this season.
What other needs remain?
Penn State, like most teams, will seemingly always be on the lookout for offensive tackles and defensive linemen. These are the positions where older, more physically mature players can help right away. Penn State has had success with defensive ends in the portal, and the career trajectories of Arnold Ebiketie and Chop Robinson should be part of the pitch to prospective players. Perhaps another end to complement Dani Dennis-Sutton next season, assuming Robinson departs for the NFL, is worth pursuing?
Offensive tackle Alan Herron, who plays at Division-II Shorter University (Rome, Ga.), said he picked up an offer from Penn State last week. He is 6 feet 6, 310 pounds, and there will be no shortage of interest in Herron, who visited Texas Tech last weekend.
Blessed to received an offer from Penn State!!@RivalsPortal @Rivals @RecruitGeorgia pic.twitter.com/O5bIFjAoeG
— Alan Herron (@AlanHerron72) November 29, 2023
The outlook at cornerback is something to watch too. Penn State is in the midst of a remarkably good run with corners but will enter next season without Johnny Dixon and likely Kalen King too. Penn State should further bolster that unit. Daequan Hardy has a sixth year available, but it’s unclear if he’ll take it. Cam Miller should slot into a starting spot, while Elliot Washington II and Zion Tracy both burned redshirts this year as freshmen and will compete for roles. Lamont Payne Jr. redshirted this season.
Penn State should be an attractive spot for cornerbacks seeking a new team.
Keep in mind …
Roster attrition is always part of the deal this time of year. It’s not a sign that something is terribly wrong with a roster or that the sky is falling. Yes, the transfer portal is still a relatively new concept to fans, but departures are usually not a reason to panic. The staff likely has a good idea of who plans to declare, who might return and who plans to head elsewhere.
(Photo: Mike Mulholland / Getty Images)
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