James Franklin makes open pitch for Penn State to linebackers looking for a school

James Franklin is looking for reinforcements in the Penn State linebackers room through the transfer portal. The Nittany Lions wrapped up spring practice on Saturday with their annual spring game and Franklin knows that position is one of need for his group.

Penn State lost former four-star prospect Ta’Mere Robinson, who appeared in 14 games this past season, to transfer. As it looks to replace the depth from that loss, Franklin made a public pitch to players still looking for a new school.

“I think we’re in good shape, but there’s some concerns there,” the coach said in his press conference following the spring game. “We lost a guy that we didn’t anticipate losing. As you guys know, we’re not a big portal team, but we’re gonna have to address some issues. So if there is a linebacker out there that wants to come and be a part of our program and play for LBU, the most historic linebacker program in the history of college football, there’s an opportunity here to join the room and compete.”

The Nittany Lions are set to return starting linebacker Tony Rojas, who finished this past season with 58 tackles and tied for the team lead with three interceptions. They also bring back Dominic DeLuca, who started five games.

Other than that, Penn State has redshirt sophomore Anthony Speca and a trio of redshirt freshmen at the position. Franklin explained that he likes the current group but added that some additional depth to deal with injuries will be necessary.

“I think we’ve got enough in the room, but to get through an entire season if we get some injuries could be challenging,” he said. “So we’re gonna look at the portal and see if we can find a solution. As you guys know, more times than not we’d like it to be somebody that is connected to us and that we know. Because we’ve got a really good locker room and I want to make sure we’re bringing the right people in our locker room.”

The spring transfer portal window closed on April 25, so no more players can enter the portal. That means Penn State knows which players are available and can focus on finding the best fit over the next few weeks.

The Nittany Lions are coming off of a 13-3 finish this past season and advanced to the College Football Playoff semifinals. As they look to make it back to the CFP, strengthening the defense will be a big key.