Last spring, after spending his freshman season in Happy Valley, former four-star safety King Mack transferred from Penn State to Alabama to play for the Crimson Tide’s new head coach Kalen DeBoer. However, taking over for Nick Saban proved to be quite a difficult task as DeBoer went 9-4, and now Mack is one of 24 outgoing transfers leaving Tuscaloosa.
As a sophomore, Mack played just 106 snaps across nine games, recording 14 total tackles. Most of those snaps were as a slot cornerback, where he was blocked by a talented group of defensive backs, including junior DeVonta Smith, who has already transferred to Notre Dame this offseason. Even with a clearer path to playing time, Mack has decided to transfer with two years of eligibility remaining, and a reunion could be in the cards.
Mack filed the official transfer portal papers on January 3, so it’s not yet clear which schools are interested in his services for the 2025 season, but Penn State should be near the top of the list. Mack has experience in the system and could have been a significant part of the defense this season if he had not left.
The Nittany Lions had a significant void in the secondary after an injury to Kevin Winston Jr. that knocked him out for the season in Week 2. It forced Jaylen Reed to move out from his slot cornerback position to safety and even led to true freshman safety Dejuan Lane burning his redshirt. Mack could have either replaced Winston at safety or Reed at nickel corner, which has been a weakness of defensive coordinator Tom Allen’s unit since Zion Tracy and Cam Miller took over.
In 2025, with Winston already declared for this Spring’s draft, and Reed out of eligibility, the Nittany Lions will need more depth at safety. Zakee Wheatley is expected to return for his final year and he will likely be paired with Lane on the back end of Allen’s defense, but Mack could fight for a starting spot or provide much-needed depth in that group.
He’s yet to be an impact player in college football and has burned two seasons of eligibility, but Mack flashed plenty of talent in 2023 in Happy Valley and would have a chance to blossom if he returned. However, he may have to wait until James Franklin and Penn State’s coaching staff can direct more focus to transfer portal recruitment after their College Football Playoff run eventually comes to an end.