Penn State will be moving on from one of its most veteran players. Smith Vilbert, a seventh-year defensive end who was a regular contributor this past season, is no longer with the program and is set to enter the transfer portal, Pete Nakos of On3 reported on Tuesday.
Vilbert tallied 12 tackles, four tackles for loss and forced a pair of fumbles over the 2024-25 season, his first full year of action since 2021. He missed almost the entirety of the 2022 season for an undisclosed reason and all of the 2023 season due to injury.
After taking a step forward last season, Vilbert announced in January his intentions to utilize a medical redshirt and return to the Nittany Lions for one final campaign. Instead, he will play that final year elsewhere.
Vilbert joins Amin Vanover and All-American defensive end Abdul Carter as the third notable Penn State edge rusher to depart the program this offseason. In their place is a room led by returning starter Dani Dennis-Sutton, Zuriah Fisher — who missed last season’s entirety with an injury — and redshirt freshman Max Granville.
Fisher was recognized by defensive line coach Deoin Barnes as Tuesday’s competitor of the day on the opening morning of winter workouts. That’s a positive sign for a position group that could possibly turn to Fisher for starting reps this fall.
