The biggest weak spot on Penn State’s roster last season turned out to be the offensive line. A year in which the Nittany Lions had one of the worst rushing offenses in recent program history could be tied to the lack of run blocking it had up front. Penn State added a few linemen in its recently signed Class of 2022 and is attacking the offensive line hard already for the Class of 2023, but the transfer portal opens the door from some possible help that is ready to play right away. And it’s possible Penn State could be closing in on a possible commitment from one of the biggest offensive line transfer targets.
Hunter Nourzad, an established offensive lineman from Cornell who has been named an All-Ivy League player and was named second-team All-American last season, is among the top offensive line targets for a number of schools out of the transfer portal. At the beginning of January, Nourzad released a list of his top five schools, which included Penn State. Nourzad also listed Auburn, Iowa, Illinois, and Virginia Tech in his top five.
I greatly appreciate all the coaches, staff, and fans who have recruited me so far! These are the schools I'll be focusing on from here on out. pic.twitter.com/PAy2XpwVaq
— Hunter Nourzad 🇮🇷 (@NourzadHunter) January 3, 2022
Nourzad will have two years of eligibility at his disposal wherever he lands out of the transfer portal. The 6′-4″, 298-pound lineman would likely be able to fit right into the heart of the Penn State offense, which will return Sean Clifford for one final season at quarterback and have some good potential at the skill positions like wide receiver and running back.
Nourzad did have a handful of visits lined up, but according to his recruiting timeline on 247Sports, the only official trip Nourzad took was to Penn State on Jan. 21. Considering the lack of coverage of any other supposed visit, and with Sean Fitz of Lions247 sharing a story detailing how the decision is approaching for Nourzad, the writing could be on the wall with his transfer decision.
When that decision will be officially revealed, and whether or not that does mean Penn State is about to secure his transfer commitment, remains to be seen. And yes, we are trying to do some speculation here given the bits of information we are piecing together here. But the addition of Nourzad would be a nice transfer portal victory for James Franklin and the Nittany Lions if it all pans out with the Georgia native.
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