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Penn State recruiting: Transfer lineman Davon Sears picks Oklahoma over the Lions

Greg Pickelby:Greg Pickel•01/09/23•

GregPickel

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Penn State defensive line coach John Scott. Jr. (Althouse/BWI)

Penn State will not land transferring Texas State defensive tackle Davon Sears. After announcing a top three of Tennesee, the Lions, and Oklahoma on Jan. 1, he picked the Sooners on Monday afternoon.

The Lions had their last shot at landing Sears last weekend. The Centerville, Mich., native visited Penn State for an official visit last weekend. The 48-hour all-expenses-paid trip did not lead head coach James Franklin’s team to land the lineman, however.

At Texas State, Sears racked up 15 tackles (3.5 for loss) and a sack plus two pass breakups. He was at a junior college before that. Penn State wanted and wants another defensive tackle in this class. However, it will have to start its search in the portal over after Sears went a different direction.

A look at the Penn State push in the portal so far

Penn State has already landed corner Storm Duck and receiver Devin Carter out of the portal. It also is in the running for receiver Tyrone Broden, among others.

“I’d like to see us get another offensive lineman and then wide receiver,” James Franklin said on the early signing day in December. “That’s a position where I could see us signing a couple more guys at that position just to make sure that we have the competition at that position on a similar scale that we do at tight end and running back. I think that’s going to be important for us moving forward. Offensive tackles that are still out there, wide receivers that are still out there, we’ll be in pursuit.

“On the defensive side of the ball, we’d like to get a defensive tackle, possibly another defensive end just from a numbers perspective. Again, depending on how this thing plays out in the back end as defensive back, we could be in the need for one or two more defensive backs.”

Penn State is up over 90 scholarship members of the roster at this point in time. However, it is likely to lose players to the portal in the days and weeks ahead. The team did learn on Sunday that it is getting end Adisa Isaac back in the fold for the 2023 season. And, the Lions lost offensive tackle Bryce Effner, who is ending his football career. NFL Draft decisions must be made soon, too. Curtis Jacobs is the primary player who has yet to make his choice.

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