Penn State OL Alex Birchmeier to Enter Transfer Portal

After an uneventful tenure at Penn State, another Nittany Lion is headed elsewhere.

Redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Alex Birchmeier intends to enter the transfer portal when it opens in January, he announced Friday night on social media. Birchmeier spent three seasons at Penn State, seeing just 34 offensive snaps and 147 on special teams.

“I want to thank the Penn State coaching staff, my teammates and the entire Penn State community for everything during my time at Penn State,” Birchmeier said in the post. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to be part of such a great program and for the relationships and lessons I’ve gained along the way.”

Birchmeier was a highly sought after recruit out of high school, earning interest from schools like Ohio State, Michigan, Georgia, Notre Dame, Oregon and Oklahoma. The four-star recruit was ranked as the top prospect in Virginia and No. 2 interior offensive lineman in the 2023 class, but he never lived up to that potential with the Nittany Lions.

Possible transfer destinations include Virginia Tech, where he could reunite with former head coach James Franklin and return to his home state, and Florida, where offensive line coach Phil Trautwein was recently hired.

Birchmeier becomes the fourth Penn State player to announce intent to transfer, joining tight end Joey Schlaffer, cornerback Elliot Washington II and defensive end Chaz Coleman. He has two years of eligibility remaining.