When Penn State released its roster for last weekend’s Blue-White Practice at Beaver Stadium, there was a notable omission: redshirt junior defensive end Jordan Mayer. The former Wisconsin transfer missed all 13 games last season with an undisclosed injury, and according to a Penn State spokesperson through a Lions247 report, he departed the program “early last week.”
The Nittany Lions have significant question marks along newly hired defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn’s defensive line, but the 6-foot-4, 226-pound edge rusher was not likely to factor into the answer. If factoring into the lineup at all, Mayer likely would have made a special teams impact in 2026, so as the depth chart rounds into form, from a football perspective, Matt Campbell shouldn’t sweat this unexpected departure.
Redshirt junior DE Jordan Mayer is no longer with Penn State
After transferring from Wisconsin ahead of the 2024 season, Mayer appeared in five games for the Nittany Lions. The Thomas Jefferson High School product played just 30 defensive snaps, all along the defensive line, and primarily contributed to special teams.
Last season, Mayer missed all 13 Penn State games with a designation of “out” on each injury report. A former three-star prospect, Mayer was listed as a redshirt junior, but with the possibility of receiving a medical hardship waiver for last year, he could likely play three more seasons of college football.
As for Penn State’s edge rusher rotation, Penn State has plenty of unproven talent at the position. Their most experienced piece is veteran Iowa State transfer Ike Ezeogu, whom Campbell has raved about during the spring.
Along with Ezeogu, who appears to be a much better fit for Lynn’s four-down front than the 3-3-5 system he played in Ames, Penn State has Yvan Kemajou, Max Granville, and Colorado transfer Alex McPherson, vying for significant playing time. That group would have been difficult for Mayer to crack.
Even with spring practices over, Campbell and Lynn still have plenty of time to determine the hierarchy at edge rusher. Ezeogu has played 1,135 snaps throughout three seasons with the Cyclones. However, Granville, Kemajou, and McPherson have just 501 defensive snaps between them.
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