Penn State sends out yet another transfer portal offer to a receiver

Penn State football is active with offers in the NCAA transfer portal. The Nittany Lions have joined the race for numerous prospects from other colleges across the country. Most of them have been receivers. And, a new name at that position has been added to the list.

The Lions offered former Kent State receiver Devontez Walker on Friday hours after he entered the NCAA Transfer Portal. A first-team All-MAC selection in 2022, Walker caught 58 passes for 921 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2022. He was the MAC receiver of the year according to College Football News, and figures to have numerous teams after him before all is said and done.

Kent State has now lost both of its leading receivers to the portal, and each has a Penn State offer. The other, Dante Cephas, is on an official visit to State College this weekend. It’s unclear if Walker will also come to town before the end of the month.

Penn State has plenty of options at receiver in the portal

Penn State has offered Walker and Cephas from the same school, of course. But it has also offered numerous receivers from other schools across the country. Penn State has been focused on the position for awhile.

“With the transfer portal opening up, we’re going to try to add the right person if that right person is there,” Lions receivers coach Taylor Stubblefield said in November. “We did our job and were very thorough with getting Mitch Tinsley, and I would like to believe that Mitch has been an asset to the room and to the program.

“So we’re going to recruit our tails off, and find the right guy that we think can be the next Allen Robinson, Chris Godwin, Jahan Dotson. We’re going to try to figure out who can help us win the Big Ten championship.”

The Lions have offers out to former Oregon WR Dont’e Thornton, former Arizona wide receiver Dorian Singer, onetime Lousiana Tech receiver Tre Harris, and onetime Mississippi State wideout Rara Thomas, among others who have not yet shared the news publically. Read more on those prospects in BWI publisher Sean Fitz’s ‘S’ Zone.

Lions portal offer timeline

Here’s the rundown so far:

Nov. 30 – Penn State sends out its first transfer offer to Rhode Island grad transfer Ajani Cornelius. He started 11 games at right tackle and was a first-team All-CAA pick at 6-foot-5, 310 pounds. 

Dec. 5 – The Lions offered Kent State receiver and Pennsylvania native Dante Cephas on the first day, as well as Alabama corner Khyree Jackson. Cephas netted 48 catches for 744 yards and three touchdowns. Jackson, meanwhile, has 14 career stops over two seasons with the Crimson Tide. Penn State also offered former Philadelphia defensive lineman Elijah Jeudy, who is leaving Texas A&M. Jeudy played sparingly in his time at A&M, but is up over 290 pounds now, making him an interior prospect.

It should be noted that former Oregon WR Dont’e Thornton also holds an offer from the Lions. Although he hasn’t admitted publicly that PSU or any school has offered, he’s currently believed to be Penn State’s most important portal target.

Dec. 6 – Penn State extended an offer to former Arizona wide receiver Dorian Singer. A former walk-on, Singer totaled 66 receptions for 1,105 yards and six touchdowns this past season. Arkansas, Arizona State, Colorado, Miami and Utah were a few other notable schools that offered after he entered the portal.

Dec. 7 – The first of two offers went out Wednesday to former Iowa defensive back Terry Roberts. The Pa., native was high school teammates at Erie Cathedral Prep with Lions’ center Juice Scruggs. Injuries have hampered his time with the Hawkeyes, but he’s been productive both on defense and on special teams when healthy. The second went to former UTEP offensive lineman Jeremiah Byers. He is a two-time All-Conference USA pick who started 12 games for the Miners last season at right tackle. He is No. 6 in the On3 2023 transfer portal rankings. 

Dec. 8 – The Lions offered two other receivers on Thursday. Former Lousiana Tech receiver Tre Harris, who was a first-team All-Conference USA pick after making  65 receptions for 935 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2022, said Penn State offered.  Mississippi State, West Virginia, and Oklahoma also have. Mississippi State receiver Rara Thomas is also now a target. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound pass catcher has three years to play two at his next stop and totaled 44 receptions for 626 yards and seven touchdowns over 12 games in 2022.