A former Penn State defensive back is entering the transfer portal for a second consecutive year. King Mack, a once-promising young safety who transferred from the Nittany Lions to Alabama last offseason, is hitting the portal, he announced on Instagram.
The 5-foot-10, 206-pound Mack appeared in all 13 games over his true freshman year at Penn State in 2023, becoming one of only five freshmen on the team to burn their redshirt. He then transferred to the Crimson Tide, with whom he played in all 13 games for this season.
Mack, a native of Miami, has 26 total tackles across 26 career games. He has two years of eligibility remaining.
Mack would have played a prominent role with the Nittany Lions this season, especially after Kevin Winston Jr.’s season-ending injury against Bowling Green on Sept. 7.
With Mack gone and Winston unavailable, Penn State was forced to move primary nickel Jaylen Reed back to safety, where he started alongside Zakee Wheatley. The Nittany Lions have since turned to Tyrece Mills and true freshman Dejuan Lane for depth.
Reed and Winston are both headed to the NFL after this season, and Penn State is in need of support at safety beside Wheatley, the Fiesta Bowl’s Defensive Player of the Game who announced his decision to return for the 2025 season on Dec. 23.
The Nittany Lions have added three portal additions this cycle: former USC wide receiver Kyron Hudson, former Troy wide receiver Devonte Ross and former Texas A&M defensive end Enai White.
