Penn State adds offensive tackle Alan Herron via transfer portal
Penn State head coach James Franklin and his staff picked up their first addition in the transfer portal Monday, adding offensive tackle Alan Herron. Formerly a Division II player at Shorter University, Herron was one of the first players that Penn State offered out of the portal at the end of November. He confirmed the news via his Instagram account.
In addition to the Nittany Lions, Herron took an official visit to Texas Tech, Dec. 1-3, before his official visit to Penn State, which took place this past weekend. He earned more than 30 offers total after entering the portal and was expected to take an official visit to Clemson this upcoming weekend. Other Power Five schools that offered include Auburn, Boston College, Houston, Kansas, Louisville, Marshall, Maryland, Miami, N.C. State, Syracuse, UCF and Virginia Tech.
Listed at 6-foot-5, 310 pounds, Herron was a Class of 2022 prospect who played in 11 games for the Hawks in 2022 and 2023. He’ll have three years left to fulfill his remaining two years of eligibility. Shorter is a Division II school in Rome, Georgia. He came out of Benjamin Banneker High School in Atlanta.
On3’s Transfer Portal Industry Rankings – which combines On3, 247Sports and Rivals for a cumulative grade – rates Herron as the 19th offensive tackle in the portal. He earned a three-star rating.
Who else is Penn State pursuing in the transfer portal?
The Nittany Lions hosted two other potential transfer portal prospects this weekend for official visits in former Indiana running back Jaylin Lucas and former North Carolina wide receiver Andre Greene Jr.
Listed at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, Greene is already familiar with the program, as the Class of 2022 prospect was previously recruited by Penn State coming out of high school.
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During his first year on campus for the Tar Heels, Greene played sparingly, totaling just 33 snaps during the regular season. The NCAA then issued a one-time waiver for all players who redshirted last season to play in bowl games. Greene took full advantage of that decision, playing 72 snaps and starting against Oregon in the Holiday Bowl. He finished the game with three receptions for 26 yards and a touchdown.
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Greene ended up playing in five games this past season for the Tar Heels but only totaled 93 snaps. He finished with just two receptions for 17 yards. Greene will have three seasons of eligibility remaining.
Lucas earned an offer from Penn State within hours of entering the portal last week.
The 2022 winner of the Big Ten’s Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year, Lucas was a First-Team All-American as a returner by several outlets last season as a true freshman. He has been one of the most dynamic special teams players in the country over his two seasons in Bloomington. Lucas has three career kickoffs returned for touchdowns, including a 100-yarder against Purdue in the final game of the season.
The 5-foot-9, 170-pound Lucas averaged 26 yards per kick return in 2023 after averaging 28.1 yards per return as a freshman in 2022. He also added 34 catches for 247 yards and two touchdowns as a receiver and carried 67 times for 275 yards and two scores as a running back. Should Lucas opt not to return to Bloomington, he will have finished his two-year Hoosier career with 2,052 all-purpose yards and nine touchdowns. He found the end zone against Penn State in 2022.
