The college football transfer portal is set to open on Friday, January 2, and with D’Anton Lynn finally in place as his defensive coordinator, Matt Campbell can turn his attention fully to building his 2026 Nittany Lions roster.
Much of that focus from the outside has been on the 47 former Iowa State Cyclones who have announced their intention to enter the transfer portal when it opens. However, there are former USC Trojans who played for Lynn in LA who make sense as portal targets for Penn State, including defensive tackle Devan Thompkins.
Former USC DT Devan Thompkins ranked as the No. 6 DL transfer
It’s hard for me to quibble with Thompkins’ ranking as the No. 6 DL heading into the portal, because, well, I’m the one who put him there. At 6-foot-5, 290 pounds, Thompkins is a solid penetrator on the interior defensive line, finishing the season with 22 quarterback pressures, including eight in Week 3 against Purdue.
Lynn was tasked with fixing a USC defense that finished well outside the top 100 in the FBS in 2023 when Lincoln Riley hired him away from UCLA. While the Trojans didn’t become an elite unit under the former Nittany Lion cornerback, Lynn did help to bolster the unit, especially in the trenches.
Thompkins was an important piece of those improvements. He arrived at USC in 2022, but didn’t become a significant contributor until 2024, Lynn’s first season. That year, he played 399 defensive snaps, finishing the year with 27 tackles and 10 stops. In 2025, he recorded 29 tackles and 19 stops through 493 snaps in 2025.
He’s a better pass rusher than run stopper, occasionally getting washed out and struggling to hold up against double teams from Big Ten offensive lines. Still, he has Big Ten experience and could have more help up front in Happy Valley.
Much of Penn State’s defensive line is heading to the NFL this offseason, including former five-star edge Dani Dennis-Sutton and star defensive tackle Zane Durant. Campbell and Lynn need to rebuild that unit, and though Thompkins isn’t a perfect player, he’d be a great addition for the Nittany Lions.
Campbell was brought to Penn State to sustain long-term success. He’s a coach known for developing young players into stars across the duration of their college careers. However, he should make a splash in the transfer portal to add veterans to take advantage of Penn State’s favorable schedule in 2026.