Penn State Football has been unusually active in the transfer portal this offseason and 247sports think’s highly of what the Nittany Lions have added
After the season, Penn State Football head coach James Franklin called this a “critical” offseason following the team’s 4-5 season, including the program’s first ever 0-5 start.
The Nittany Lions responded by bringing in five players from the transfer portal, all of whom were starters at their previous school and figure to play a significant role for Franklin’s squad next fall.
247sports seems to think Franklin did well with the players he brought in, listing Penn State Football as one of their six winners of the transfer portal this offseason.
Along with the Nittany Lions, 247sports awarded Florida, Florida State, Miami, Oklahoma and UCLA as winners as well.
Among the incoming transfers, former Temple defensive end Arnold Ebiketie and former Duke defensive tackle Derrick Tangelo ranked the highest of the group, each earning a grade of 85 respectively, with Ebiketie cracking 247sports top 50 players to enter the portal thus far.
247sports sees four of the players that have arrived in Happy Valley as starters, failing to mention only running back John Lovett from Baylor as a potential starter. This is most likely due to a crowded backfield and one that hopes to get star tailback Noah Cain back from injury sooner rather than later.
Prior to this offseason, the only player of note Franklin has acquired through the portal is kicker Jordan Stout, but with a rather light 2021 freshman recruiting cycle, and a few Nittany Lions entering the portal, their was roster space to go out and make a few splashes.