Ex-Indiana DL coached by Penn State DC Tom Allen enters the transfer portal

Originally posted on Basic Blues Nation
By Morgan Chapman | Last updated 3/19/24

It’s no secret that Penn State football defensive coordinator Tom Allen had strong ties to all of his players at Indiana. One of the reasons Allen was such a good head coach was his slogan, “LEO,” which stood for Love Each Other. Allen was fierce and knew how to motivate his players, which made Indiana exceed expectations most years. Now, with Allen at Penn State, one of the top players on his roster during the 2023 season, Philip Blidi has entered the transfer portal.

Ex-Indiana Hoosier coached by Tom Allen enters the transfer portal

Philip Blidi was a three-star defensive line prospect in the 2020 recruiting class. However, he did not commit to Indiana from high school. Instead, Blidi spent his first three seasons at Texas Tech, where he made a name for himself. With the Red Raiders, he accounted for 40 tackles and 2.5 sacks in his three seasons.

But under Tom Allen at Indiana, Blidi had a career season. He racked up 30 tackles and four tackles for loss. Now, he has announced that he will be entering the transfer portal searching for a new home as a graduate transfer.

pic.twitter.com/fWKQvuQmhF

— Philip Blidi (@62philip) March 19, 2024

Could Blidi’s New Jersey ties help Penn State?

Tom Allen was able to help Philip Blidi have a career season in 2023. But is that enough for him to want to follow Allen to the Penn State football team? It’s not just the Tom Allen tie that could help the Nittany Lions. Blidi is from Trenton, New Jersey, which would put him significantly closer to home.

The Nittany Lions have made the most of transfer defensive linemen over the past few seasons. Think about Derrick Tangelo, Arnold Ebiketie, and Chop Robinson. Could Philip Blidi be up next for the Nittany Lions?

This article first appeared on Basic Blues Nation and was syndicated with permission.

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