Transfer Portal Tracker: Follow all the latest developments for Penn State as we head into January

The 2023 Penn State football season officially wrapped up last Saturday. Since returning home from Atlanta, head coach James Franklin and his staff have put nearly all of their focus on the transfer portal with the goal of adding a few more reinforcements ahead of the 2024 season.

Currently, the Lions hold four commitments from kicker Chase Meyer, wide receiver Julian Fleming, offensive lineman Nolan Rucci and linebacker/defensive end Jordan Meyer.

Penn State has also seen five of its players enter the portal, including three scholarship players: WR Dante Cephas, WR Cristian Driver, K Alex Bachetta. DE Jake Wilson and WR Jace Tutty, both of whom were previously walk-ons, also entered.

Now, with only players in the portal allowed to visit this weekend, there’s plenty to discuss. Penn State begins its spring semester this upcoming Monday, Jan. 8. The staff can still add players after that, with the deadline being Jan. 15.

Below is the latest on Penn State’s efforts in the transfer portal.

Fans can also click the links below to follow all of On3’s transfer portal coverage nationally.

Transfer Portal News Feed

2024 Transfer Portal Tracker

Transfer Portal Player Rankings

Incoming: OL Nolan Rucci (Jan. 6)

Penn State has added another coveted in-state prospect via the transfer portal, as legacy prospect Nolan Rucci is set to transfer in from Wisconsin.

Coming out of high school, Nolan seriously considered the Nittany Lions, visiting five times in 2018 and 2019. However, with his older brother, Hayden, already enrolled at Wisconsin, the Badgers ultimately won out, with Rucci committing in September 2020.

Following a redshirt season in 2021, Rucci played sparingly the past two seasons, backing up a few older players with NFL potential. Back on Dec. 30, Wisconsin offensive tackle Jack Nelson announced that he would return to Madison for his senior season. It’s unclear how much that decision impacted Rucci. It should also be noted that Rucci originally committed to play for former Badgers head coach Paul Chryst.

Rucci totaled 70 snaps at offensive tackle during his Wisconsin career, including 35 snaps in Wisconsin’s 35-31 loss to LSU in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Jan. 1. Although the snaps are limited, Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 76.2 in 2023 and 89.0 in 2022.

Read More: Penn State picks up legacy offensive tackle Nolan Rucci out of transfer portal

Penn State Visit: OL Nolan Rucci (Jan. 6)

The Nittany Lions continue to push hard for reinforcements ahead of the spring semester beginning on Monday, Jan. 8. On Saturday morning, BWI’s Ryan Snyder confirmed that former five-star prospect Nolan Rucci and his family were on campus for a visit.

Read More: Penn State hosting another coveted transfer portal prospect Saturday (On3+)

Incoming: DE/LB Jordan Mayer (Jan. 5)

Penn State added another former Pennsylvania prospect via the transfer portal Friday in DE/LB Jordan Mayer.

A Class of 2023 prospect, Mayer played at Thomas Jefferson High School in Clairton, Pa. He visited with Penn State in Jan. 2022 but didn’t earn a scholarship from the Nittany Lions at the time. He originally committed to Boston College but then switched his commitment to Wisconsin. After one year in Madison, he then entered the portal. Mayer is expected to be a walk-on at Penn State.

Read More: Penn State adds Pennsylvania native Jordan Mayer out of transfer portal

Penn State Visit: CB Tony Grimes (Jan. 5)

Former Texas A&M cornerback Tony Grimes has confirmed that he’s taking an official visit to Penn Stat this weekend.

A former top target for the Nittany Lions in the Class of 2020, Grimes came out of high school ranked No. 19 nationally in the On3 Industry Rankings and No. 3 overall at his position, making him a five-star player. The Virginia Beach, Va. native took three visits to Penn State but ultimately committed to North Carolina in June 2020.

Grimes made an immediate impact when he arrived in Chapel Hill, playing in 11 games his freshman season, including four starts in the final four games. He played each of the following two seasons, totaling 97 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and one interception during his time with the Tar Heels. He also had 19 pass deflections.

Grimes then transferred to Texas A&M last offseason but missed the entire season with an injury. He has two years of eligibility remaining.

Read More: Penn State hosting former Texas A&M cornerback Tony Grimes Friday

Notebook: Who are the Nittany Lions’ top portal targets? (Jan. 5)

Harris isn’t the only player that Penn State fans need to be keeping an eye on this weekend.

On Friday morning, BWI’s Sean Fitz posted a loaded notebook breaking down each of the staff’s top remaining targets, as well as additional info on a few key players, including Pennsylvania native and former five-star offensive tackle Nolan Rucci.

Blue White Illustrated subscribers can read his entire notebook below.

Read More: Notes and updates on the Nittany Lions’ portal targets (On3+)

New RPM Pick: CB A.J. Harris (Jan. 4)

On Thursday evening, BWI’s Sean Fitz followed up his report with a new pick for the Nittany Lions to land the former Top 100 prospect. Harris is currently ranked as the top overall cornerback available in the transfer portal by On3 and the 11th-ranked player overall in the portal.

Read More: New Penn State pick is in on the On3 RPM for a Transfer Portal prospect

Penn State Visit: CB A.J. Harris (Jan. 4)

BWI’s Sean Fitz confirmed Thursday morning that former Georgia CB A.J. Harris was on campus for an official visit. That official visit started Wednesday and wrapped up Thursday afternoon.

A former Top 100 prospect in the Class of 2023, cornerbacks coach Terry Smith offered Harris out of high school but he ended up committing to Georgia.

The 6-foot-1, 187-pound Harris played in seven games for Georgia this season as a true freshman, totaling eight tackles. Prior to enrolling at Georgia, AJ Harris was a four-star prospect and the No. 39 overall recruit in the nation in the 2023 recruiting class, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. He also checked in as the No. 3 cornerback in the class and the No. 5 overall player in the state of Alabama

Read More: Penn State currently hosting a top Transfer Portal target

Incoming: WR Julain Fleming (Jan. 3)

Nearly three weeks after news started to leak that former Ohio State WR Julian Fleming was leaning towards Penn State, the Pennsylvania native made it official on Jan. 3.

Fleming dealt with injuries during his time in Columbus. He finished his Ohio State career with 79 catches for 963 yards and seven touchdowns. His best statistical season came in 2022, when he caught 34 passes for 533 yards and six scores.

However, despite only hauling in 26 passes for 270 yards in 2023, Spencer Holbrook of BWI’s sister site, Lettermen Row, says there’s more than what meets the eye when it comes to evaluating Fleming’s most recent season.

“His receiving numbers were down from the 2022 season, but he was still a valuable part of the Buckeyes’ offense, serving as the team’s best perimeter run blocker,” Holbrook wrote. “In fact, his Pro Football Focus run blocking grade of 74.0 was third on the entire team.

“Fleming also made some of the most clutch catches of the year, including a 4th-and-7 grab at Notre Dame that kept Ohio State’s game-winning drive in South Bend alive.”

Fleming is the 21st-ranked wide receiver in On3’s Transfer Portal Rankings and No. 84 overall.

Read More: Penn State lands former Ohio State WR Julian Fleming out of the transfer portal

Commitment Impact: What is Penn State getting in Julian Fleming?

Outgoing: WR Dante Cephas (Jan. 3)

With the bowl game now finished, On3 learned on Wednesday morning, Jan. 3, that Penn State wide receiver Dante Cephas was expected to enter the transfer portal. By 5 p.m. that evening, it was official.

A native of Pittsburgh, Cephas came to Penn State in the summer after wrapping up classes at Kent State. However, it took time for him to adjust to the next level, which impacted his playing time throughout the year. He had easily his best performance against Maryland, totaling six receptions for 53 yards and two touchdowns. Cephas finished the season with 22 receptions total for 246 yards and two scores.

Cephas is now the fifth outgoing player for Penn State, joining WR Cristian Driver, K Alex Bachetta, DE Jake Wilson and WR Jace Tutty.

Read More: Penn State WR Dante Cephas to re-enter NCAA transfer portal

Outgoing: DE Jake Wilson (Jan. 2)

Walk-on defensive end Jake Wilson has officially entered the transfer portal. A native of Nazareth, Pa., Wilson played in 27 games for the Nittany Lions, most of which were on special teams. He did see time at defensive end in eight games during the 2022 season. That dipped to just three games this year.

Wilson is now the fourth outgoing player for Penn State, joining WR Cristian Driver, K Alex Bachetta and WR Jace Tutty.

Read More: Penn State defensive end Jake Wilson enters NCAA transfer portal

Decommitment: OL Alan Herron flips to Maryland (Dec. 21)

Just 10 days after Georgia native Alan Herron committed to the Nittany Lions it was announced on Dec. 21 that the former Division II offensive tackle would instead enroll at another Big Ten program, Maryland.

Herron took an official visit to College Park the week prior, Dec. 13-15.

Read More: Offensive lineman Alan Herron flips commitment from Penn State to Maryland

Commitment: Lions add former Tulsa kicker Chase Meyer (Dec. 17)

Penn State added an intriguing walk-on, with former Tulsa kicker Chase Meyer announcing his commitment on Dec. 17. Growing up in Costa Mesa, Calif., Meyer attended powerhouse Mater Dei High School and eventually ended up in the Ivy League at UPenn. After the 2022 season, he entered the transfer portal and didn’t join Tulsa’s program until just before preseason camp.

Meyer started the season converting all nine of his field goal attempts in his first eight games. He finished the season 17 of 20. Meyer’s longest make was from 47 yards against Tulane on Nov. 11. He also had a game-winner against East Carolina in the season-finale, as well as a game-tying kick against Charlotte to send the game into overtime on Nov. 4.

Read More: Penn State adds former Tulsa kicker Chase Meyer via transfer portal

Read More: Transfer kicker Chase Meyer finds the right fit at Penn State

Visit Update: CB Corey Thornton (Dec. 15)

Penn State was planning to host former UCF cornerback Corey Thornton on campus this weekend for an official visit. However, following an official visit to Louisville, Thornton announced his commitment to the Cardinals. Because of that, WR Colbie Young was expected to be the only visitor this weekend.

Link: UCF transfer DB Corey Thornton commits to Louisville Cardinals

New RPM Pick: WR Julian Fleming (Dec. 15)

Following up on Sean Fitz’s report the previous day, BWI’s Ryan Snyder logged a new RPM prediction Friday for the Nittany Lions to land WR Julian Fleming. On3’s transfer portal expert, Pete Nakos, also logged a pick for Fleming to end up with the Nittany Lions.

During his time in Columbus, Fleming totaled 80 receptions for 990 yards and seven touchdowns. The Pennsylvania native took an unofficial visit to Penn State on Thursday, Dec. 7.

Link: New Penn State pick logged in On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine

Penn State Visit: WR Colbie Young (Dec. 15)

Penn State is set to host former Miami wide receiver Colbie Young for an official visit Dec. 15-17.

A former junior college player at Lackawanna in Scranton, Young visited Penn State twice, including in the spring of 2022 for the Blue-White Game. However, since the staff wanted him to camp that summer, he decided to focus on schools that would allow him to enroll in June so he could play during the 2022 season. Young also considered Pitt and Tennessee before signing with the Hurricanes.

He played in 10 games in 2022, totaling 32 receptions for 367 yards and five touchdowns. Young followed that up by playing in all 12 games this past year, totaling 47 receptions for 563 yards and five touchdowns.

Link: Penn State set to host Transfer Portal wide receiver for official visit

Penn State Visit: K Chase Meyer (Dec. 14)

News broke Thursday evening that former Tulsa kicker Chase Meyer was on campus for a visit. After starting his collegiate career at Penn, Meyer transferred to Tulsa for the 2023 season. The sophomore made 17 of 20 attempts this past season. His longest was from 47 yards.

Meyer posted an offer from San Diego State shortly after entering the portal. He also took a visit to Oklahoma on Dec. 9. He has two years of eligibility remaining.

Link: Penn State hosting transfer portal kicker Chase Meyer

Notebook: What we’re hearing on Penn State & the Portal (Dec. 14)

Thursday was a key day regarding Penn State’s efforts in the transfer portal.

BWI publisher Sean Fitz was the first to report that morning that former Ohio State wide receiver Julian Fleming was now leaning towards the Nittany Lions following his official visit to Nebraska. Fitz also reported on two other key targets in the portal, WR Colbie Young and CB Corey Thornton.

BWI subscribers can recap that notebook below.

Trimmings: What we’re hearing on Penn State and the Portal (On3+)

Visit Recap: WR Andre Greene Jr. (Dec. 13)

BWI’s Sean Fitz caught up with wide receiver Andre Greene Jr. following his official visit to Penn State last weekend, Dec. 8-10.

“Overall, it was a great trip and I learned a lot,” Greene said.

BWI subscribers can read the complete recap below.

Link: North Carolina transfer WR Andre Greene Jr. talks Penn State official visit (On3+)

Visit Update: DL Aeneas Peebles (Dec. 13)

Penn State was planning to host DL Aeneas Peebles for an official visit Dec. 15-16, but that no longer appears to be the case. On Tuesday, Peebles confirmed on social media that he’s narrowed his list to Colorado, Louisville, Missouri, SMU and Virginia Tech. There’s also talk that he’s interested in returning to Duke now that Manny Diaz has been hired.

Notebook: Updating Penn State’s transfer portal progress (Dec. 12)

Following Herron’s commitment the previous day, BWI publisher Sean Fitz posted a notebook last Tuesday discussing other priority targets, including OL Chase Bisontis. Subscribers can read that notebook below.

Trimmings: Tracking Penn State’s Transfer Portal progress (On3+)

Commitment: OL Alan Herron (Dec. 11)

Following his Dec. 8-10 official visit to Penn State, offensive tackle Alan Herron announced Monday that he’s committing to the Nittany Lions.

Before his Penn State trip, Herron took an official visit to Texas Tech, Dec. 1-3. He earned more than 30 offers since entering the portal and was expected to take an official visit to Clemson this upcoming weekend, Dec. 15-17. Other Power Five schools that offered include Auburn, Boston College, Houston, Kansas, Louisville, Marshall, Maryland, Miami, N.C. State, Syracuse, UCF and Virginia Tech.

Listed at 6-foot-5, 310 pounds, Herron was a Class of 2022 prospect who played in all 22 games the past two seasons at Shorter University, a Divsion II school in Rome, Ga. He’ll have three years left to fulfill his remaining two years of eligibility. Herron came out of Benjamin Banneker High School in Atlanta.

Read More: Penn State adds offensive tackle Alan Herron via transfer portal

Penn State Visit: RB/KR Jaylin Lucas (Dec. 9)

Penn State is hosting a third transfer portal prospect this weekend in former Indiana running back/kick returner Jaylin Lucas. In 2022, Lucas earned first-team All-American honors by multiple outlets for his contributions as a kick returner, taking back two kicks for touchdowns that season. He also had a 100-yard kick return for a score against Purdue this season, giving him three total for his career.

Nittany Lion fans can read more on this weekend’s visitors below.

Read More: Penn State hosting three potential Transfer Portal additions

Penn State Visit: WR Julian Fleming (Dec. 8)

Blue White Illustrated broke the news Friday that former Ohio State WR Julian Fleming was on campus earlier in the week. Subscribers can learn all the details below.

Read More: Penn State hosted Transfer Portal wide receiver for visit (On3+)

Penn State Visit: WR Andre Greene Jr. (Dec. 8)

Penn State has locked in a second official visit for this weekend, Dec. 8-10, in former North Carolina WR Andre Greene Jr. A former four-star prospect, Greene was recruited by Penn State out of high school and even visited in Aug. 2021. The Nittany Lions were one of his Top 6 schools at the time.

Fans can learn more on Greene, as well as which other schools are in the mix here.

Read More: Penn State set to host former North Carolina WR Andre Greene Jr. this weekend (On3+)

The ‘S’ Zone: Tracking Penn State’s transfer portal pursuits (Dec. 7)

BWI’s Sean Fitz put together a loaded ‘S’ Zone Thursday to discuss the latest news that Penn State fans need to know about the staff’s pursuits in the transfer portal.

In addition to some new names to keep an eye on at wide receiver, Fitz also discussed a notable offensive lineman to keep an eye on, as well as who they may pursue at cornerback and elsewhere on the defense.

Read More: The ‘S’ Zone – Tracking Penn State’s Transfer Portal Pursuits (On3+)

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: DL Aeneas Peebles (Dec. 5)

BWI publisher Sean Fitz confirmed the visit schedule for former Duke defensive tackle Aeneas Peebles. Subscribers can learn which schools he plans to see, as well as when he plans to take those visits below.

Read More: Penn State transfer portal target sets official visit schedule (On3+)

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 from 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/Visit: 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