Receiver Daniel George says Penn State goodbyes, enters transfer portal

Penn State receiver Daniel George said his goodbyes to the football program Sunday afternoon.

Entering the NCAA transfer portal last week following his fourth year as a Nittany Lion, playing in three, George offered his thanks to Penn State, the community that supported him, and the experience as a whole.

Daniel George’s statement

“First, I want to thank God for blessing we to be in this position. These past four years at Penn State have been some of the greatest, most memorable years of my life. All the experiences, friendships, and lessons I’ve learned have helped mold we into the man I am today.

“I want to thank Coach Franklin and the whole coaching staff for developing me as not only a football player but as a man. I also want to thank the academic staff and professors for their continued support throughout my journey.

“To my brothers, thank you for always pushing me to reach my full potential. The memories we made together are irreplaceable.

“I also want to thank the whole Penn State community. I’m grateful for all the opportunities and connections that have been offered to me. The alumni and fan base are unmatched!

“I have decided to enter the NCAA transfer portal as a graduate transfer with 2 years left of eligibility. I am proud to say I will be a Penn State Alumnus. #WEARE AGTG!

DANIEL GEORGE

Thank you Penn State! pic.twitter.com/hUG1MHIzDA

— D George (@11DanielGeorge) January 23, 2022

Penn State career

George’s career as a Nittany Lion began with great promise in 2018.

Arriving to Penn State as an On3 Consensus four-star prospect, George immediately made a mark with quarterback Sean Clifford just three weeks into the season. Connecting for a 95-yard touchdown completion, George set a record for the longest touchdown reception in Penn State history in the 63-10 win over Kent State.

George’s on-field impact wouldn’t go much further, though.

Returning to play in `12 games, starting four, during the 2019 season, George finished with nine receptions for 100 yards in a reserve role. In 2020, the backup role remained largely the same for George, finishing the nine-game campaign with seven catches for 73 yards.

With those two seasons in the books, and Penn State hoping to find more consistency at the receiver position, head coach James Franklin previewed the 2021 season as critical for George and his fellow veteran teammate, Cam Sullivan-Brown.

“There’s a bunch of veterans that we think should, and need to have big roles for us. Guys that have been with us for a long time,” Franklin said in his first weekly press conference of the 2021 season. “You look at guys like Cam Sullivan-Brown, who is a guy that we’ve been excited about since the day he stepped on campus, but with that, he’s kind of battled the injury bug.

“Daniel George is another guy. Big, strong, athletic. He’s got the longest reception in Beaver Stadium history. Those are two guys that we really need to take that step this year. And we think they can. There’s a lot of confidence in them and a lot of belief in them. And we’re going to need them either to be starters or rotational guys for us this year.”

Franklin’s hopes for both players never came to fruition.

Despite playing in 12 games, George saw the overwhelming bulk of his snaps on special teams. As such, he finished without a single reception in his redshirt junior year.

As noted in his statement, George will graduate from Penn State this spring and will have two years to play at his next destination.