Keep track of Penn State's transfer portal activity as window officially opens
It was a busy weekend for Penn State head coach James Franklin and his assistant coaches, who spent the past three days traveling nationwide for in-home visits. Now, it’s about to get even busier.
In addition to preparing for Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl, now the Nittany Lion staff will shift much of its attention to the transfer portal, which officially opened Monday, Dec. 4. The window has been reduced this year from 45 days to 30 days, meaning players have until Jan. 2, 2024, to declare their intentions.
While many players have already publicly declared that they intend to enter the portal, Penn State and all Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) coaches aren’t allowed to contact players directly until today. There are a few exceptions to that rule, however, as coaches have been allowed to contact graduate transfers, players who previously played at a lower level (FCS, Ivy League, Div. II, etc.) as well as those who were previously on a team that went through a coaching change.
We’ll keep track of Penn State’s transfer portal activity here over the next week and beyond. Fans can click the links below to follow all of On3’s transfer portal coverage nationally.
Transfer Portal Player Rankings
Offer: Jaylin Lucas (Dec. 6)
Penn State offered a second player who previously played at Indiana Wednesday in running back/return specialist Jaylin Lucas. In 2022, Lucas was the Big Ten’s Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year, while also earning first-team All-America honors as a returner by multiple outlets.
During the 2023 season, Lucas totaled 67 carries for 275 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught 34 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns. For his career, he has three kick returns for touchdowns – two in 2022, one in 2023- and has averaged 27 yards per return.
Read More: Penn State offers dynamic return specialist Jaylin Lucas
Visit Update: DL Aeneas Peebles (Dec. 5)
BWI publisher Sean Fitz confirmed the visit schedule for former Duke defensive tackle Aeneas Peebles. Learn more on which schools he plans to see, as well as when he’ll be taking those visits below.
Read More: Penn State transfer portal target sets official visit schedule
Offer: WR Donaven McCulley (Dec. 5)
Former Indiana WR Donaven McCulley tweeted Tuesday evening that he’s been offered by the Nittany Lions. Penn State was the first offer he confirmed publicly. As of Wednesday morning, Dec. 6, McCulley had also confirmed offers from Mississippi State, N.C. State, South Carolina and USF.
Listed at 6-foot-5, 200 pounds, McCulley had a strong game against the Lions back in October, totaling four receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown. He finished the season with 48 receptions for 644 yards and six touchdowns.
According to PFF, McCulley finished the season with a 75.5 overall offensive grade, which ranked sixth-best in the conference out of more than 50 wide receivers who were targeted at least 20 times. He had just three drops all season. He’ll have one year of eligibility remaining at his next school.
Read More: Penn State offers Big Ten transfer wide receiver
Offer: DL Aeneas Peebles (Dec. 4)
Blue White Illustrated confirmed Monday evening that former Duke DT Aeneas Peebles has earned an offer the Lions. Listed at 6-foot-1, 286 pounds, Peebles has played all four seasons at Duke, but he’s coming off his best season yet, totaling 40 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and four sacks in 2023.
Earning third-team All-ACC honors, Peebles grades out strongly by Pro Football Focus with an overall defensive grade of 84.4 this season. That ranks No. 8 overall out of more than 300 defensive tackles at the Power Five level. His pass rush grade of 87.4 was the fourth-best in the nation. Peebles was also one of just 14 defensive tackles at the Power Five level to earn an overall grade above 80.0 or better this season.
Read More: Penn State extends offer to transfer portal defensive lineman
Offer: WR Josh Kelly (Dec. 4)
On3’s Pete Nakos confirmed Monday that former Washington State WR Josh Kelly has earned an offer from the Nittany Lions. Other notable schools include Arkansas, Cincinnati, Kansas State, Texas Tech, Tennessee and Utah.
However, Nakos also confirmed that Kelly has set an official visit set to Notre Dame for this week, beginning Tuesday, Dec. 5.
Outgoing: WR Jace Tutty (Dec. 4)
A native of Stroudsburg, Pa., Jace Tutty joined the Nittany Lions as a walk-on in 2021. He didn’t play at all during his first two seasons on campus but did see the field for the first time in Penn State’s season finale against Michigan State. Tutty played three snaps on special teams before getting on the field at cornerback for three snaps at the end of the game. Tutty earned Academic All-Big Ten honors in 2022.
Outgoing: WR Cristian Driver (Dec. 4)
On3 confirmed Monday morning that redshirt freshman wide receiver Cristian Driver is the second Penn State player to enter the portal. After playing cornerback his first season on campus, Driver switched to wide receiver in the offseason but totaled just 27 snaps at the position. He also played 22 snaps on special teams in 2023.
Coming out of Liberty Christian High School in Texas, Driver held a four-star rating in the On3 Industry Rankings, coming in at No. 297 nationally. Driver finished as a four-star prospect at 247Sports, Rivals and ESPN. On3 rated him a three-star prospect with an 88 overall rating. He’s the son of former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Donald Driver. Franklin coached Driver while with the Packers in 2005.
Read More: Penn State WR Cristian Driver enters transfer portal
Outgoing: P Alex Bacchetta (Dec. 4)
Punter Alex Bacchetta is the first Penn State player to enter the transfer portal. A native of Atlanta, Bacchetta earned a scholarship from the Lions out of the Westminster School. However, Penn State added Riley Thompson in the offseason and he ultimately won the starting job.
Read More: Punter Alex Bacchetta enters NCAA transfer portal
Offer: WR Ja’Mori Maclin (Nov. 30)
Ja’Mori Maclin was the first wide receiver to earn an offer from the Nittany Lions. A graduate transfer, Maclin spent two seasons at Missouri before transferring to North Texas in 2022. He totaled 57 receptions for 1,004 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2023.
Penn State was the first school Maclin acknowledged publicly as offering. He’s now up to a dozen offers and counting, with California, Cincinnati, Colorado, Kentucky, LSU, Michigan State, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Texas A&M, UCF and West Virginia also offering. It’s unclear where Maclin plans to visit as of Monday, Dec. 4.
Read More: Penn State offers North Texas standout wideout Ja’Mori Maclin
Offer: OL Alan Herron (Nov. 29)
A 6-foot-6, 310-pound offensive tackle, Alan Herron was a member of the Class of 2022 and attended Benjamin Banneer Academy in College Park, Ga. He went to Division II Shorter University and has started every game the past two seasons. That gives him three years of eligibility remaining to play two.
Herron earned an offer from Phil Trautwein on Nov. 29 and just took an official visit to Texas Tech this past weekend. Herron is expected to visit Penn State this upcoming weekend, Dec. 8-10, followed by Clemson, Dec. 15-17.
Since entering the portal on Nov. 16, Herron has totaled more than 30 offers. Auburn, Boston College, Clemson, Houston, Kansas, Louisville, Maryland, Miami, N.C. State and Virginia Tech are the other Power Five schools that have offered.
Read More: Penn State the latest to offer transfer offensive tackle
Read More: Top transfer portal target locks in official visit with the Lions
Offer: OL Keyshawn Blackstock (Oct. 26)
Penn State extended its first transfer portal offer to offensive lineman Keyshawn Blackstock at the end of October. A former junior college target for the Nittany Lions in last year’s class, Blackstock ultimately ended up signing with Michigan State. He played 74 snaps for the Spartans during the first four weeks of the 2023 season. However, once it became clear that Mel Tucker would likely be fired, Blackstock decided to use his available redshirt.
The Nittany Lions were pushing to host Blackstock for an official visit Dec. 6-8, but the Covington, Ga., native committed to Arkansas on Nov. 20.
Read More: Penn State offers familiar name who recently entered transfer portal
Read More: Former Michigan State OT Keyshawn Blackstock commits to Arkansas
