Three needs Penn State Football can still fill through the transfer portal

STATE COLLEGE, PA - OCTOBER 29: Head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions looks on during the first half of the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Beaver Stadium on October 29, 2022 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

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STATE COLLEGE, PA – OCTOBER 29: PJ Mustipher #97 and Coziah Izzard #99. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

A Defensive Tackle

After getting run over by Michigan back October, James Franklin made one thing clear: He wanted to get bigger in the trenches.

For how athletic Penn State’s defense is, it does lack some size on the interior of the defensive line. With P.J. Mustipher off to the NFL, the biggest defensive tackle on Penn State’s roster is redshirt freshman Kaleb Artis, who is listed at 6-foot-4 and 315 pounds. No other defensive tackle on the roster is listed over 300 pounds.

For comparison, Michigan had five defensive tackles listed at 300 pounds or more on its 2022 roster.

The Nittany Lions have multiple defensive tackles who can get to 300 pounds or more with another year in the strength and conditioning program, but it feels like they could use a big-body space eater like Derrick Tangelo in 2021.

Tangelo was a big addition for the Nittany Lions through the transfer portal for the 2021 season. The redshirt senior was a strong veteran presence in the locker room, but also a force on the field.

Finding Derrick Tangelo 2.0 won’t be easy, but it would help complete what should be a very strong Penn State football defense in 2023.

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