Penn State Football’s 2023 roster continues to take shape with flurry of moves
Penn State Football is loading up for a possible College Football Playoff run in 2023.
This week was an important one for Penn State Football and its 2023 roster construction as multiple players made their decision about next season.
Between the transfer portal, players declaring for the draft and players returning, there is plenty of news to dive into.
Fatorma Mulbah to face Penn State in 2023
Former Penn State Football defensive tackle Fatorma Mulbah transferred to West Virginia this week. That means Mulbah will face the Nittany Lions week one at Beaver Stadium. In three years at Penn State, Mulbah recorded four career tackles. He appeared in 11 games this season but did not record any stats.
Davon Townley exits portal
Penn State defensive end Davon Townley entered the portal early this offseason but withdrew from the portal on Friday. Townley did not factor much into the defensive end rotation in 2022 and that likely would have been the case in 2023 with Adisa Isaac returning. With that said, Allen Trieu of 247 Sports reported that Townley will return to Penn State with the plan of moving to defensive tackle. Currently listed at 6-foot-6 and 267 pounds, if Townley can add 20 or so pounds, he could be a force on the interior at that size.
Jamari Buddin enters the transfer portal
Penn State football reserve linebacker Jamari Buddin will be playing elsewhere in 2023. The 2021 recruit announced he will be entering the portal on Thursday. In two years with the Nittany Lions, Buddin played in 11 games and recorded 12 tackles with 1.5 being for loss. Between Curtis Jacobs returning in 2023 and Penn State adding three 4-star linebackers in the 2023 recruiting class, it’s understandable that Buddin would want to move on.
Keyvone Lee enters transfer portal
It wasn’t too much of a surprise on Friday to see running back Keyvone Lee enter the portal. Lee entered the 2022 season as the starter, but the freshmen duo of Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen quickly assumed heavier workloads and by the end of September, Lee wasn’t seen on the field again. He did return to the sidelines for the Rose Bowl but did not play in the game. Lee finishes his Penn State career with 222 carries for 1,062 yards and six touchdowns. Penn State fans will remember him best for his game-winning touchdown catch against Purdue to start the 2022 season.
Keaton Ellis to return in 2023
Veteran safety Keaton Ellis will return to Penn State for a fifth season in 2023. With Ji’Ayir Brown moving on to the NFL, it’s nice for the Nittany Lions to be able to return the experienced Ellis to what will be a young safety position in 2023. In four seasons, Ellis has collected 68 total tackles and an interception. This past season was the State College native’s best as he recorded 24 tackles and seven pass breakups.
Jake Pinegar to go pro
Penn State placekicker Jake Pinegar announced on Saturday morning that he will forgo his sixth year of eligibility and move on to a chance to play in the NFL. Pinegar was the starting kicker from 2018 to 2020 but lost his starting job to Jordan Stout in 2021. Pinegar came back in 2022 and rewon the job and ended up going 57/59 on extra points and 12/16 on field goals. For his career, Pinegar made 96.5% of his extra points and 73% of his field goals. In all, he totaled 342 points during his career. He will quietly be one of the more important members of the 2022 team that needs to be replaced in 2023.