The Penn State football team has had a quiet couple of days regarding the transfer portal. The transfer portal officially opened on Tuesday and the Nittany Lions have suffered two losses both at wide receiver. But many thought Penn State would suffer more exits to the portal. That still could be the case as players have until April 30th to officially enter. At the same time, James Franklin and his coaching staff can start recruiting new transfer portal additions to Happy Valley. Now, the Nittany Lions are starting to show interest in ex-Tennessee linebacker Elijah Herring.
Reviewing Elijah Herring and his Tennessee career
Elijah Herring is a rising junior heading into the 2024 season. A native of Newnan, (GA) Herring transferred to Riverdale High School in Murfreesboro (TN) to play his last two seasons of high school football. He then made his commitment to the Tennessee Volunteers as a linebacker. During his true freshman season in 2022 with the Vols, he played in 13 games primarily on special teams.
Last season he found his stride as a linebacker. He started 11 games as a middle linebacker for Tennesse and racked up 76 tackles which led the team. On Monday, April 15th he announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal with a post on social media.
“I’d like to thank Coach Huepel & the University of Tennessee for the opportunity to play in my home state. I appreciate all the support from the entire staff, my teammates, & fans. I have decided to enter the transfer portal & pursue other college opportunities. Love The Vols!”
Penn State football ‘showing interest’ in transfer portal LB
Depth has always been a concern for every college football team. It’s not very often that the Penn State football team gets an opportunity to inject starting-caliber talent into its defense. Just a few days after entering the transfer portal several programs have shown interest in Elijah Herring including Colorado, Penn State, and Pittsburgh according to Steve Wiltfong of On3. Herring will visit Colorado on Friday.
When speaking about Penn State Herring told Wiltfong, “Penn State said we’re trying to get something setup and stay in contact for the next couple days and get something setup.”
If James Franklin and Tom Allen can get Herring on campus the Nittany Lions should have a strong case in potentially landing the ex-SEC linebacker. While Kobe King has been a solid starter for Penn State, competition has always brought the best out of players.
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