REPORT: Penn State football eyeing standout Pitt defender in transfer portal

The first week of the spring transfer portal window came and went with only a pair of losses for James Franklin and Penn State football. While the Nittany Lions have yet to make their first addition of talent to the 2024 roster, they may soon look to pluck a top defender from an in-state rival. Reports this week suggest that Penn State is one of the many schools in contact with former Pitt defensive end Dayon Hayes. However, the competition is stiff for the ex-Panther, with Lincoln Reilly and the USC Trojans and Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffalos already locking in visits with Hayes for the weekend.

Nittany Lions contact ex-Pitt edge rusher Dayon Hayes, per reports

James Franklin and Penn State football may soon be looking to connect with a one-time recruit, according to reports from Pittsburgh Sports Now this week. The site, which spoke to ex-Pitt defensive end Dayon Hayes this week, says the former Panther has been contacted by the Nittany Lions since entering the transfer portal on Monday. Penn State is one of 17 schools that had reached out to Hayes at the time of the report, along with Colorado, USC, Texas A&M, North Carolina, and Michigan State, among others.

A four-star out of Pittsburgh, Dayon Hayes visited Happy Valley once, in March 2019. One month later, in April, he picked up a Penn State football offer. Hayes is coming off his most productive season as a Panther, totaling 45 tackles, four sacks, and a forced fumble. The edge rusher had 81 total tackles in his four-year career at Pitt.

However, Penn State already has some ground to make up. Hayes Faucet of On3 reports that Dayon Hayes already has a pair of visits set up for this weekend. One, with Big Ten newcomer Lincoln Reilly and USC, started on Friday and will run through Sunday. The other, with Deion Sanders and Colorado, will be on Sunday and Monday.

Penn State football transfer portal tracker

The transfer portal hasn’t come for Penn State football much yet, but it has come for its wide receiver corps. The Nittany Lions suffered two departures from the room this week, Malick Meiga and KeAndre Lambert-Smith.

Lambert-Smith appears ready to start his own circuit of transfer portal visits this weekend. Penn State’s top receiver from 2023 is set to take his first visits this weekend, with trips to Auburn and Texas A&M. On Friday, reports surfaced that Lambert-Smith is expected to visit USC next week.

The spring transfer portal window closes on April 30.