Penn State lineman JB Nelson will enter the NCAA transfer portal
JB Nelson will play his final season of college football elsewhere in 2025. The now-former Penn State offensive lineman left the Lions roster during the third week of spring practice. BWI’s Sean Fitz reported that he would end up in the NCAA transfer portal on Friday morning. Now, he is officially headed there. He has just one season of eligibility remaining.
A Pittsburgh native who played his high school ball at Mt. Lebanon, Nelson went the junior college route at Lackawanna Community College for two years before joining the Lions for the 2022 season. Injuries caused issues at points of Nelson’s career. He was a unanimous All-Big Ten honorable mention selection in 2023 and played in all 16 games in 2024 but played fewer snaps despite how long the Penn State season went. He was fighting for a starting job again this spring after eight starts in 2023 but none a year ago.
“He’s competing, he’s getting better, he’s out here right now, just working,” Trautwein said earlier this week. “He takes most of the ones, but also gets some twos because I want to rotate guys in. So he’s been doing both. But he’s a guy that’s versatile as well, as he has actually played tackle out there. He’s a guy that just works every single day, and he’s continued to work, and he’s fighting to make sure that gets that spot, or he doesn’t get it taken away, or he gets it, or whatever it is. So he is working his butt off.”
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Nelson’s departure leaves 23 offensive linemen for Trautwein to build a depth chart around. Penn State will continue to spring practice until the Blue-White game on April 26.
Trimmings: How JB Nelson’s departure changes Penn State’s offensive line plans
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Nelson will not be the only Penn State player to hit the portal
The transfer portal does not officially open for undergraduates until April 16. The spring window then runs until April 25. Nelson might be the first Penn State player to make his intentions of moving on via it clear. But, he’ll hardly be the last. Competition across the depth chart this spring will obviously lead to winners and losers. And, those on the wrong side of the equation may seek to go elsewhere or explore their options of doing so, at the very least.
