Top linebacker targets in the transfer portal for Penn State Football
Penn State Football has learned that both Brandon Smith and Ellis Brooks will forego the Outback Bowl and their final seasons of eligibility and enter their names in the NFL Draft this April
Penn State Football will be without yet another starting linebacker in the Outback Bowl as well in 2022.
Linebacker Ellis Brooks announced via twitter Monday that he will be turning pro and will forego the Nittany Lions‘ trip to Tampa, joining teammate Brandon Smith who made the same announcement last week.
Brooks led the team in tackles the past two seasons and accumulated 100 tackles this past season, a constant in the run game for Penn State Football who will be missed in Manny Diaz’s defense next season.
With unproved players behind Brooks and Smith in Kobe King and Jamari Buddin expect head coach James Franklin to look to the transfer portal to add a player with some experience and depth to that linebacker room. The only returning starter will be Curtis Jacobs who played extremely well in the second half of the season.
Let’s take a look at some of the top potential targets for Penn State Football in the portal at linebacker:
Navonteque Strong – LSU
Strong committed to LSU as the top ranked JUCO linebacker in the country in the 2021 class, but will leave Baton Rouge after only a few months on campus.
The former JUCO star collected 17 tackles, one and a half tackles for loss, a sack and a pass breakup through the first five games of the year. He then fell out of favor and was removed from the starting lineup and with the new of head coach Ed Orgeron being fired at the end of the season, Strong entered the portal.
The Mississippi native, listed at six-foot and 230 pounds is extremely athletic and Penn State Football has had success going the JUCO root before with Jaquan Brisker and Ji’Ayir Brown so it would not be a surprise to see them do it again.
With slim pickings in the portal currently at linebacker, it would make sense to take a chance on a guy who is clearly talented and was thought of highly enough by LSU to be a day one starter in that defense.
Strong could come in and compete for a starting job right away.