Penn State Football: Nittany Lions Lose Depth, but Few Key Pieces, to Transfer Portal

Penn State football has a better sense of what its roster will look like heading into the summer following the closure of the transfer portal on May 1. In total, the Nittany Lions lost eight players (with a ninth pending) during the 16-day spring transfer portal window as they look to further their futures. And of course, not all departures are a surprise.

“That’s what these [post-spring practice] meetings are going to be about,” Penn State coach James Franklin said following the Blue-White game at the conclusion of spring practice in April. “The individual meetings with our position coaches, the meetings with me. We’ve had some conversations with some guys already. But at the end of the day, you never really know until it happens. I think we’ve got pretty good relationships where guys, for the most part, have been very transparent and honest with us and we do the same thing with them.

“To be honest with you, 99% of the time, what’s good for the individual is good for the team, and vice versa.”

In fact, Penn State needed some post-spring attrition to get down to the 85-scholarship limit.

The Nittany Lions previously saw seven players, mostly back-ups and walk-ons, enter the portal during the 30-day winter window in December and January. In that same period, Penn State also picked up six transfers: WR Julian Fleming, CB AJ Harris, CB Jalen Kimber, DE Jordan Mayer, K Chase Meyer and OL Nolan Rucci.

Penn State also added 16 early enrollees from the 2024 recruiting class in January and has nine more freshmen coming this summer. Whether the Nittany Lions make any further additions from the transfer portal remains to be seen.

So who is taking their talents elsewhere? Here’s a quick recap of the Penn State spring portal entries who are looking for somewhere else to call home, followed by a breakdown of all the departures and arrivals this offseason.

Safety King Mack: Primarily a special teams participant during his true freshman season in 2023, Mack is a former four-star prospect with track speed to go along with it. Mack finished last season with three total tackles to his name, making appearances in all 13 games. Penn State has some questions to answer about safety depth this year, and Mack may have been able to help in that department, but there’s no indication that Mack was a starter waiting in the wings, at least not for 2024. His entrance into the portal only supports that theory.

Receiver Malik McClain: There were higher hopes for McClain when he transferred to Penn State from Florida State last January, but he never cracked the main rotation. McClain made six catches for 71 yards in 2023 and picked up a season opening touchdown against West Virginia to get things off on the right foot, but he never found his stride after that. All six of McClain’s receptions came in the first three weeks. The loss of fellow receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith opens the door for everyone, but McClain can read the writing on the wall regarding who might be walking through that door before him.

Receiver Malick Meiga: Penn State has questions at receiver and losing wideouts isn’t a good thing for Penn State, but it’s another special teams loss for the Nittany Lions, with Meiga also marking the departure of a former captain. Can’t argue with a guy wanting to have a bigger role somewhere else though. The rising senior had three receptions for 10 yards last season, and nine catches total in three seasons of action.

Offensive lineman Golden Israel-Achumba: He can sing, but can he block? Penn State’s offensive line equation probably was never going to involve Israel-Achumba, but losing depth in the trenches is never a great thing. He primarily appeared on special teams during his redshirt junior campaign in 2023.

Running back London Montgomery: Penn State’s running back room isn’t short on talent and if you’re not trying to gamble your future against beating a bunch of other solid running backs then sticking around isn’t the way to go. After coming to Penn State as a four-star prospect and redshirting in 2023, Montgomery had five carries for 8 yards in April’s Blue-White game. Now the Scranton native will test the transfer portal waters looking for a home where the line to becoming RB1 isn’t quite as long.

Receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith: It’s hard to say that Penn State losing last season’s No. 1 receiver is a good thing on any level. That being said, it’s hard to say that KLS was ever so good that Penn State will wildly miss his production. That doesn’t mean the Nittany Lions won’t have issues at receiver in 2024, but Penn State losing KLS isn’t quite the same thing as losing Jahan Dotson. Sometimes you just need a fresh start, hopeful Lambert-Smith can find that in his senior season at his new home in Auburn. Who fills his shoes will be among the defining storylines of Penn State’s season.

Defensive tackle Davon Townley: Penn State is never short on talent along the defensive front but this could have been a good year for the Nittany Lions to hang onto everyone they’ve got. Townley wasn’t going to make or break the season, but any depth is good depth. Like most guys who enter the portal, you can’t argue with those who are hoping to find a bigger role. Where that means Townley — who had one tackle in three appearances as a redshirt sophomore last season — ends up in 2024 is a different question entirely. He previously entered the portal in December 2022 but returned to Penn State.

Running Back David Kency Jr.: Much like Montgomery, Kency can read the room, let alone read the room as a walk-on. Penn State has plenty of history with walk-on players making meaningful impacts, but it’s safe to say that if Kency gets to the point where he’s changing Penn State’s season in 2024, a lot of things haven’t gone well for a very talented room.

Receiver Carmelo Taylor (Pending): According to a report by 247 Sports, Taylor is no longer with the program. He has not yet shown up in the transfer portal, but processing times could account for that. Again, losing depth is never good, but Taylor, a freshman who redshirted while appearing in two games last season, wasn’t on a short list of obvious next-man-up options for Penn State here.

TRANSFER PORTAL DEPARTURES

TRANSFER PORTAL ADDITIONS