Penn State Undergoes Necessary Change During the Spring Transfer Window

Originally posted on Penn State Nittany Lions on SI
By Mark Wogenrich | Last updated 5/3/24

After the Blue-White Game in April, Penn State coach James Franklin said he expected an "interesting" offseason, referencing the NCAA Transfer Portal that would open two days later. Yet even after seven scholarship players, including four this week, entered the portal since then, the Nittany Lions had few seismic changes to their roster.

The biggest name to enter the portal this week before it closed was safety King Mack, a sophomore who was Penn State football's highest-rated defensive player of its 2023 recruiting class. Mack played mostly special teams last season and had won praise from Franklin for being "fast, aggressive and violent."

As Rivals first reported, Mack, receiver Malik McClain, offensive lineman Golden Israel-Achumba and running back London Montgomery entered the portal before the April 30 deadline. They joined receivers KeAndre Lambert-Smith and Malick Meiga and defensive lineman Davon Townley in entering the portal during the spring window. Lambert-Smith since committed to Auburn.

In all, 12 scholarship players from Penn State's roster entered the transfer portal since the 2023 season ended. Though the number might sound high, it represents a necessary change as Penn State closes toward the NCAA 85-scholarship limit. And Penn State still might not be there. According to its roster, Penn State currently has 91scholarship players, though the in-house and outside scholarship numbers don't always match.

Indeed, Franklin was asked during spring practice about getting to the 85-scholarship limit. He didn't seem concerned.

"We’re in great shape," Franklin said in April. "Don’t see any of those things [being] an issue, and our math’s different than yours."

Here's a look at the four scholarship players who entered the portal.

A 4-star safety from Fort Lauderdale's St. Thomas Aquinas, Mack was among the headliners of the 2023 recruiting class. He was a playmaker at STA who arrived at Penn State intent on competing for early playing time. He did that, making the early special teams roster, but his playing time was reduced during the Big Ten schedule. Mack played in six games, burning his redshirt by playing a combined nine snaps over the final two games against Michigan State and Ole Miss.

Penn State is well equipped at safety this season, returning starters Jaylen Reed and KJ Winston and rotational player Zakee Wheatley. But all three could be gone next season, when Mack could have ascended into a starting role. This decision signals that Franklin and his staff are comfortable enough with their safety depth to absorb such a loss.

McClain transferred to Penn State last season with Dante Cephas, two receivers expected to bolster the room. Both lasted one year. Cephas entered the portal in January, McClain in late April. The 6-4 receiver, who spent two seasons at Florida State, began his Penn State career with promise, catching four passes for 58 yards and a touchdown in the season-opening win over West Virginia. After that, McClain caught two passes over the following two games, and that was it. He finished the season with four catches for 71 yards, gaining nearly 82 percent of those yards against the Mountaineers.

Receiver is the position undergoing the most change this season. Four of the 12 Nittany Lions who entered the portal were wide receivers, with Julian Fleming arriving from Ohio State to absorb some of the pressure. In fact, it might be surprising that Penn State didn't lose one or two more receivers.

Montgomery redshirted in his freshman year at Penn State after sustaining a season-ending injury during his senior year at Scranton Prep. As a high school junior, Montgomery rushed or 2,356 yards and 36 yards, leading the 247Sports Composite to rank him as Pennsylvania's top running back.

Montgomery was in the same recruiting class as fellow running back Cam Wallace, and the Nittany Lions added two more backs in the 2024 class. One was Quinton Martin Jr., who rushed for two touchdowns in the Blue-White Game. There's depth at the position, and Franklin hinted early in spring practice that Montgomery had some ground (and weight) to gain to win playing time.

"London has struggled to put some weight on," Franklin said. "But in terms of football IQ, in terms of kind of their instincts and vision, [Montgomery and Wallace have] shown that. Their ability to pass pro, they’ve shown they’ll be tough and stick their faces in there. The Sunday-night scrimmages have been really good. So I think both of those guys, if they’re willing to do the things off the field, specifically in the weight room and nutrition and things like that, then I think they both have a chance to have bright futures."

The 6-4, 336-pound offensive lineman from DeMatha Catholic played in five games over two seasons at Penn State, though just one last year. He spent the season largely on the developmental squad, and earned praise from Franklin several times, but could not translate that to playing time. He'll have a better opportunity with his next program.

AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich.

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