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Penn State safety King Mack enters NCAA transfer portal

Greg Pickelby:Greg Pickel•05/02/24•

GregPickel

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Penn State safety King Mack. (Pickel/BWI)

Penn State is losing an expected contributor on defense to the NCAA transfer portal. Sophomore safety King Mack is now looking for a new college football home as Mack’s name is expected to appear in the portal on Thursday. The 5-foot-10, 187-pound Miami, Fla., native used a year of eligibility in 2023 after playing in all 13 games. While most of his reps came on special teams, Mack showed promise when inserted into the defense. He recorded three tackles and a quarterback hurry over 70 snaps and, most importantly, looked like he belonged in the secondary, even if his reps came in mop-up time.

Mack’s decision to enter the portal comes as a surprise. In February, he spoke openly about his strong relationship with head coach James Franklin as he prepped for spring practice.

“The relationship that me and Coach Franklin built, it was a relationship where I knew I could trust him,” Mack said. “Because my biggest thing was, it wasn’t about the name of the school. It was, is this school going to develop me for the next level? And as I got to know Coach Franklin, I realized that he’s one of the best to do it.”

Entering the portal does not guarantee that a player will move on. But, most do so instead of returning to school. Other Nittany Lions who have hit the portal this spring include receivers KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Malick Meiga, and Malik McClain, offensive lineman Golden Israel-Achumba, and defensive tackle Davon Townley Jr.

How does King Mack entering the transfer portal impact Penn State?

Mack was not going to overtake Kevin Winston Jr., and Jaylen Reed for a starting safety job. But, he was projected as a top backup and oft-used part of the rotation for position coach Anthony Poindexter in 2024. With that said, while four Penn State safeties played more than 200 snaps a year ago, only two of them, the aforementioned pair, played more than 257. So, Mack may have seen consistent playing time as something he could gain elsewhere. His decision to enter the portal impacts the Lions from a depth perspective at safety. And, it assures an even bigger role for redshirt junior Zakee Wheatley, who was expected to play more anyway this fall.

The other area Mack’s decision impacts Penn State is at punt returner. He was expected to be in the mix to replace Daequan Hardy. But, the Blue-White game indicated that Kaden Saunders is the leader in the clubhouse to regain the role he lost to Hardy midway through last season. So, snaps at that spot may not have been there for Mack, either.

All told, this is a loss for Penn State. Mack is extremely speedy and talented and has a bright future ahead of him. It looks like his skills will be on display elsewhere, however.

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