Penn State Football: Thorpe Set to Enter Transfer Portal

Penn State offensive lineman CJ Thorpe will enter the transfer portal, he announced on Thursday afternoon. The redshirt junior will enter the portal as a defensive linemen and, like all transfers this year, be immediately eligible.

Thorpe’s entry as a defensive lineman puts him back at the position he played to start his Penn State career. The Pennsylvania product switched from offensive line to the defense partway through the Nittany Lions’ 2018 season but played sparingly in that role.

On the offensive front, Thorpe was a regular contributor once he moved back to that role in 2019 and started the first three games of Penn State’s 2020 season at right guard before Will Fries took over in his place.

Thorpe is the latest current Nittany Lion to enter the portal, joining defensive tackle Antonio Shelton, the most notable departure prior to Thorpe. Shelton announced his intentions to transfer to Florida on Wednesday after previously announcing his entry into the portal.

Generally speaking, Penn State has come out on the right end of the portal so far this offseason, picking up four transfers that look to make immediate impacts on both sides of the ball. The Nittany Lions have added former Temple defensive end Aaronld Ebiketie, Baylor running back John Lovett, South Carolina corner Johnny Dixon and Duke defensive tackle Derrick Tangelo to the roster so far this offseason.

All transfers are immediately eligible to play per an NCAA waiver related to the COVID-19 pandemic. That immediate eligibility is expected to soon become established practice in the coming months as legislation is headed toward approval that would give any student-athlete the ability to transfer once in their career and become immediately eligible.