New Penn State transfer portal offer goes to highly-coveted offensive lineman
Penn State sent out a new transfer portal offer Wednesday night. It went to a player who is considered one of the best offensive linemen available.
Former UTEP tackle Jeremiah Byers announced on Twitter that the Lions had joined the race for his services. The offer came from offensive line coach Phil Trautwein. An All-Conference USA pick who started all 12 games for the Miners this fall, Byers also has offers from Florida State, Miami, Memphis, and Maryland. More are likely to come.
On3 calls the 6-foot-4, 331-pound redshirt sophomore the No. 6 player in its initial 2023 transfer portal rankings. That puts him as the No. 2 tackle on the list. He has multiple seasons of eligibility remaining.
“Jeremiah Byers was an On3 Consensus three-star recruit coming out of Austin (Texas) Anderson in the 2019 recruiting class,” On3 writes in a synopsis of Byers’ personal life. “He originally signed with UTEP over offers from Stephen F. Austin, Incarnate Word, Howard, Southern University and others.
“He made a big impact early on at UTEP, including being named Conference USA All-Freshman team in 2020. In 2021 as a redshirt freshman, he was an honorable mention all-league pick and was instrumental in the Miners averaging 392.0 yards per game, including 140.0 rushing.”
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Penn State transfer portal offer tracker
Byers is the second offensive lineman the Lions offered after it joined the race for Rode Island grad transfer Ajani Cornelius back in late November. And, Penn State has moved on a few other positon groups already.
On Dec. 5, the Lions offered Kent State receiver and Pennsylvania native Dante Cephas on the first day, as well as Alabama corner Khyree Jackson. Cephas netted 48 catches for 744 yards and three touchdowns. Jackson, meanwhile, has 14 career stops over two seasons with the Crimson Tide. Penn State also offered former Philadelphia defensive lineman Elijah Jeudy, who is leaving Texas A&M. Jeudy played sparingly in his time at A&M, but is up over 290 pounds now, making him an interior prospect.
A day late, Penn State offered former Arizona wide receiver Dorian Singer. And, on Wednesday, it also extended an offer to former Iowa defensive back Terry Roberts, a Pa., native who was high school teammates at Erie Cathedral Prep with Lions’ center Juice Scruggs.
Penn State may continue to look at options along the offensive line. It definitely has starting left tackle Olu Fashanu and guards Hunter Nourzad and Landon Tengwall back next season. But, the status of Bryce Effner and Caedan Wallace for 2023 is unclear. And, the Lions could lose some depth options to the transfer portal after the Rose Bowl, as well.
