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Penn State cornerback Jon Mitchell set to enter NCAA transfer portal

Greg Pickelby:Greg Pickel•04/16/25•

GregPickel

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Cornerback Jon Mitchell. (Credit: Ryan Snyder | Blue White Illustrated)

Penn State football is losing a former four-star defender to the NCAA transfer portal after just one season. Cornerback Jon Mitchell is moving on. BWI’s Sean Fitz first reported Mitchell’s plan on Wednesday morning. The news became official on the first day the spring window is open. The Jacksonville, Fla., native clearly had his mind made up beforehand.

Mitchell was the No. 105 recruit in the Class of 2024, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. He was also the No. 15 player at his position in that recruiting cycle. Penn State was diligent to play both Mitchell and Philadelphia native Kenny Woseley Jr., while preserving a year of eligibility for both last fall. Mitchell recorded a handful of tackles over a total of six games. He played three regular season games on defense and received some postseason action on special teams.

“I’ve embraced my role,” Mitchell told BWI in December before the Lions took on Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. “I’ve been playing special teams more at the end of the season, so I was just embracing that and trying to be good at. That felt good. By playing good on special teams, it can make me better on defense.”

Mitchell picked Penn State over Notre Dame, Miami, Alabama, and Florida State. At the time, he told On3’s Hayes Fawcett that Lions cornerbacks coach Terry Smith played a big role in his decision.

“The way coach Terry Smith develops his cornerbacks to be elite stands out,” Mitchell said. “Also, I just fell in love with the facility and all the coaches are just genuine. It’s a family I want to be a part of.

Penn State has a plan for the spring transfer portal window

Speaking Tuesday night in State College, Penn State coach James Franklin made clear that he did not expect any of his players’ decisions to move on to be ones that caught him off guard.

“Again, it’s really kind of a no surprises discussion,” Franklin said. “And what I mean by that, if the players have any issues or concerns, we want them to come in and talk to us. We’ve talked already to the team about how we’re handling the 105 [roster cap that will apply for preseason camp if the House vs. NCAA settlement is approved]. That was addressed before the first window. That was addressed before this window. So everybody is on the same page.

“The other thing, as you guys know, is that I meet with the players a lot, and there needs to be a communication, two-way street. So right now, we’re not having meetings, obviously, during spring ball, but there needs to be communication.”

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