Penn State had a massive roster turnover with a surplus of players entering the Transfer Portal and a swarm of others transferring in. As the Nittany Lions' roster shapes up, it's clear that three former players who opted for the portal would've been better off sticking it out with head coach Matt Campbell and a new era of Penn State football.
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Safety King Mack has had quite a journey at the collegiate level. He was with the Nittany Lions as a true freshman, transferred to Alabama for his sophomore season in 2024, then came back to Happy Valley as a junior. With Penn State in 2025, Mack logged 58 tackles, three passes defensed, one tackle for loss, one interception, and a half-sack.
What makes his decision to transfer questionable is how Campbell's safety room turned out following Transfer Portal additions. It's not a weak group as Marcus Neal Jr. and Jamison Patton followed their head coach over from Iowa State.
However, the rest of the defense has strong returners that bring familiarity and consistency to that side of the ball. That's not the case at safety. Mack would have likely been a starter for the blue and white and provide leadership at that position. For both Campbell and Mack, his departure to the ACC is unfortunate.
Similar to Mack, safety Antoine Belgrave-Shorter had his spot available. Even as a rotational guy, Belgrave-Shorter was clearly going to get playing time and help maintain that consistency from the Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin era to the Campbell era.
Belgrave-Shorter kept his redshirt as a true freshman and logged six tackles over seven games (four regular season contests). He was a presence on defense in blowouts and also on special teams consistently. In 2025, he logged 14 tackles and rotated in with Mack. The two were familiar with each other, even though they didn't play side-by-side necessarily. That combination could've started out for the Nittany Lions in 2026 with adjustments being made to the rotation as needed.
Running back Tikey Hayes initially said he planned on staying at Penn State, but announced early in January that he changed his mind. He entered the Transfer Portal about one week before the portal entering deadline struck, but has yet to find a new home.
That in itself left a bad taste in people's mouths, saying he was running it back with the Nittany Lions then going back on his word. On top of that, there's lots of uncertainty with his future as he remains floating in the portal. Penn State, since picking up a few running backs from the Transfer Portal, like Carson Hansen and James Peoples, is more than unlikely to bring Hayes back, especially given how he handled the situation.
Hayes only played in the Pinstripe Bowl, registering three carries for 18 yards as a true freshman. He was a four-star recruit and No. 32 running back from Pennsylvania from the Class of 2025.
If he played his cards right, assistant head coach and cornerbacks coach Terry Smith's nephew could've kept his spot down on the depth chart and be a part of the blue and white's next chapter. Unfortunately, that ship sailed and he put the next phase of his collegiate career at risk with a bold move.