Tag: Davon Townley

Former Penn State DL Donovan Tonwley announces transfer commitment

Former Penn State DL Davon Townley is officially on the move after his second time in the transfer portal.

After jumping into the transfer portal for a second time since coming to Penn State, defensive lineman [autotag]Davon Townley[/autotag] is officially on the move out of Happy Valley. Townley announced a commitment to his new school out of the transfer portal on Sunday.

Townley announced he committed to Missouri State, an FCS program that will be making the move into Conference USA in 2025, with a post on his social media account.

Townley is a former four-star recruit of Penn State despite not having a ton of football playing experience coming into the college game. He had not found a hold on a solid playing spot on the defensive line as a bit of a work in progress for the Nittany Lions, but the potential was always thought to be there. The 6’6″, 277-pound defensive tackle will surely bring good size to the Missouri State defensive line, and he should be able to land a starting role more likely than it appeared he would not have had at Penn State. Townley has appeared in 10 games for Penn State and has combined for four tackles as a reserve lineman.

Missouri State announced it accepted an invitation to join Conference USA in 2025 earlier this month. That makes Townley one of the first players to commit to the program since the big announcement. Townley will have two years of eligibility to use at Missouri State, meaning he will play in the transition from one of the top FCS programs to a move up to the FBS and Conference USA.

Townley was one of three players still officially sitting in the transfer portal at the beginning of the month. The two remaining Nittany Lions sitting in the NCAA’s transfer portal are offensive lineman Golden Israel-Achumba and defensive lineman Jake Wilson. Wilson has mentioned an offer from Akron on his social media feed, but nothing official has been announced for either player on their next move from the portal.

Check out the 2024 transfer portal tracker to see who is coming and going for Penn State this year.

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How many former Penn State football players are still in the transfer portal?

The transfer portal cycle closed with these former Penn State football players still officially in the transfer portal.

The start of a new college football season is beginning to creep up on us already with the countdown to kickoff for Penn State recently entering double digits. Penn State has added a number of key players to the roster out of the transfer portal since the close of the 2023 season, and it has seen its share of players choose to leave the program through the portal. Some are still mulling their future plans while sitting in the transfer portal as the summer season is ushered in over the Memorial Day holiday weekend.

As of now, there are three players from Penn State’s roster last season sitting in the transfer portal without a commitment for another program officially on the board. Those players are offensive lineman Golden Israel-Achumba and defensive linemen Davon Townley and Jake Wilson. With the transfer portal cycle now closed, these four players will have to wait until after the 2024 season to continue their college football careers. Of course, it is possible these players do have commitments made that have not surfaced yet for one reason or another.

Israel-Achumba announced he entered the transfer portal in early May and confirmed he will have two years of eligibility remaining as a graduate transfer from Penn State.

It is important to remember that players can still withdraw their names from the transfer portal if they choose to remain at their current school. In the case of Davon Townley, that is exactly what he did a year ago. Townley explored his options in the transfer portal a year ago before ultimately deciding to remain at Penn State. But now that he has entered the portal a second time, it seems unlikely he will make the same decision again.

Wilson’s social media feed has only mentioned an offer from Akron, where former Penn State offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead is the head coach.

Former Penn State offensive lineman Ibrahim Traore still shows up as a player in the transfer portal according to a couple of the major recruiting sites. But a recent report from Daily Collegian says Traore has committed to Toledo.

Check out the 2024 transfer portal tracker to see who is coming and going for Penn State this year.

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Davon Townley appears to be getting comfortable at new defensive position

Penn State moving Davon Townley from DE to DT appears to be working out well.

Penn State’s depth at the defensive tackle position took a hit this week with a season-ending injury to one of its newest additions from the transfer portal. But one player who pulled himself out of the transfer portal may be just what was needed to help keep the position in good condition for the 2023 college football season. [autotag]Davon Townley[/autotag]’s move from defensive end to defensive tackle appears to be going well, which has to be an encouraging sign for the upcoming season in Happy Valley.

Townley was among the players who received praise from those attending Penn State’s open football practice on a stormy Saturday night, three weeks before the start of the season. Townley has gone through the spring practice season, summer, and fall camp with the intent of making a successful transition from defensive end to defensive tackle, and the results so far have reportedly been pleasing.

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Penn State lost defensive tackle Alonzo Ford to an unspecified season-ending injury last week. The defensive tackle addition from the transfer portal was a standout player for Old Dominion in the Sun Belt Conference last season and was expected to thrive as a rotational piece or backup option with the Nittany Lions. Ford can use his redshirt season this year to retain two years of eligibility, but Penn State still has to hope its defensive tackle stability is intact this season. Townley thriving with a new position could not have come at a better time.

Townley entered the transfer portal following the 2022 season to explore potential options to play elsewhere. But after some time in the portal, Townley withdrew his name from the NCAA transfer portal database to remain at Penn State. The former four-star recruit then began shifting his focus from the end of the line to the interior position as Penn State looks solid on defensive end depth but could use a little more help on the inside.

Penn State’s top defensive tackles will likely be Hakeem Beamon and Dvon Ellies with Zane Durant and Jordan van den Berg among the top secondary options at the position. Penn State has used a variety of combinations with these four players in practices so expect to see a bit of a mix and match at the position this season, Townley will likely benefit from an opportunity for a few more snaps with Ford sidelines due to injury. Coziah Izzard will be another key name for the position.

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2023 Penn State football snapshot profile: No. 18 Davon Townley

A snapshot look at Penn State defensive tackle Davon Townley heading into the 2023 season.

Going into the 2023 football season, Nittany Lions Wire will be looking at each scholarship player listed on the Penn State roster. Over the preseason, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag].

Continuing this effort is a look at one of Penn State’s young players for the upcoming season, redshirt sophomore [autotag]Davon Townley[/autotag]. Coach Franklin targeted the defensive line position in the spring portal to try and add some depth. After the spring, how does Townley stack up on the defensive line in 2023?

Penn State Football: 2022-2023 transfer portal departures tracker

Let’s take an updated look at the Penn State football transfer portal tracker.

The NCAA’s transfer portal is a game-changer for players and more and more players seem to be taking advantage of the opportunity to explore all of their options. Penn State has been a program that has sent a number of players to other schools by way of the transfer portal, some with more success than others, but the Nittany Lions have also caught on to the importance of tapping talent from the transfer portal to plug some holes on the roster.

Penn State head coach James Franklin has expressed his growing concerns over the way the transfer portal is treated by programs around the country, and how the pressure to focus on just football impacts the whole process. He’s not necessarily wrong on that account, but he may also b a bit frustrated knowing every year his program will lose players through the whole process when he can be focusing his energy on preparing for a bowl game or the early signing period on the recruiting calendar.

Here is a look at each player from Penn State’s roster that has been announced or been reported to be in the NCAA transfer portal.

Davon Townley to return to Penn State instead of transfer

A month after entering the transfer portal, this Penn State player is reportedly staying.

Sometimes you just need to take a step back and realize how good you may have it. Perhaps that was the situation for defensive lineman [autotag]Davon Townley[/autotag]. A little more than a month after announcing he was entering the transfer portal, Townley is now reportedly staying at Penn State.

According to a report from 247Sports, Townley has confirmed he will remain at Penn State instead of pursuing a transfer. That is good news for the Penn State defense as Townley has some good athletic potential to be a key player on the line of scrimmage in the coming years if he continues to develop and grow in the program.

Townley made appearances in eight games for Penn State during the 2022 season. As he returns to the program this spring, he will be given an opportunity to push for more playing time this spring. Given Penn State’s track record of developing raw athletes on the defensive line, Townley is certainly a key player to watch moving forward.

And according to the 247Sports report, a slight position change could be in the works as Townley will reportedly be moving from end to the inside of the line. File that away for the spring football storylines.

Penn State did see a player enter the transfer portal on Friday though with running back Keyvone Lee entering the transfer portal.

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18 days until Penn State football 2021 season opener

We are now just 18 days away from the start of the Penn State football season.

We are 18 days away from Penn State football!

Yesterday, we talked about Jaden Dottin, current Nittany Lion who wears number 19. Today, we will learn a little bit more about current number 18, freshman defensive end Davon Townley Jr.

Townley Jr. committed to Penn State in the recruiting class of 2021. He was the 16th member to commit to their 2021 class.

As a recruit, Townley was a pretty popular name out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. He received offers from big schools like Arizona State, Florida and Penn State.

Townley joins a list of 16 players of Penn State’s 2021 roster including Kobe King, Kalen King and Nate Bruce.

Towney is another multi-sport athlete who had a productive high school career playing basketball.

In high school, Townley was a two-time team captain. What makes him such a unique player is that he didn’t start high school football until his junior year.

One analyst described Townley as being a physical player for how lean he is at his position. He has received high praise from players and coaches in high school. His high school coach said Townley has the potential to be the next big NFL defensive prospect.

We are 19 days away. Townley joins a class of several players who are looking to start creating their own legacy at State College. It all starts on September 4th at 12pm ET at Camp Randall Stadium.

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Penn State jersey numbers for new football players

Penn State has updated the jersey numbers for freshmen football players and some new transfer players

While some programs may play some offseason gimmicks of forcing players to earn their jersey number or a helmet decal, Penn State doesn’t mess around with such uniform motivations. And on Friday, Penn State confirmed the jersey numbers to be worn by every incoming freshman or transfer player being added to the roster this fall.

Penn State has already given some new players an official jersey number, including those who enrolled early and participated in spring football. But a couple of new additions to the program this summer now have their official jersey numbers as well.

Here’s a look at the official jersey numbers for a number of the newest Nittany Lions;

  • No. 4 – CB Kalen King
  • No. 6 – CB Zakee Wheatley
  • No. 7 – S Jaylen Reed
  • No. 9 – QB  Christian Veilleux
  • No. 14 – CB A.J. Lytton
  • No. 17 – TE Khalil Dinkins
  • No. 18 – DE Davon Townley Jr.
  • No. 24 – CB Jeffrey Davis Jr.
  • No. 28 – LB Dominic Deluca
  • No. 41 – LB Kobe King
  • No. 42 – LB Jamari Buddin
  • No. 52 – DT Jordan Van Den Berg
  • No. 58 – OL Landon Tengwall
  • No. 68 – OL Eric Wilson
  • No. 82 – WR Liam Clifford
  • No. 85 – WR Harrison Wallace III
  • No. 90 – DE Rodney McGraw
  • No. 94 – K Sander Sahaydak

Penn State will begin preseason camp on August 6. Penn State’s season opener will be played on September 4 at Wisconsin. The game will be FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff.

Helmet sticker to Lions 247.

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National Signing Day: Four-star DE Davon Townley commits to Penn State

Four-star Minneapolis (Minn.) North defensive end Davon Townley committed to Penn State on Wednesday morning.

Four-star Minneapolis (Minn.) North defensive end Davon Townley committed to Penn State on 247Sports’ National Signing Day Show Wednesday morning.

Townley picked Penn State over an offer list that featured nearly 20 contenders for his services, including Arizona, Arizona State, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ole Miss, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington.

“Penn State is the right choice because I’ve built the strongest relationship with these coaches over time,” Townley told 247Sports’ Allen Trieu.

Townley did not play football until his junior year of high school, but quickly rose to stardom on the gridiron thanks to a 6-foot-6, 220-pound frame that allowed him to wreak havoc on defense and frequently get to opposing quarterbacks. The COVID-19 pandemic shortened Townley’s senior season, but he was still able to register 42 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks, while adding five catches for 149 yards and two touchdowns while playing tight end.

Townley is the No. 321 recruit, No. 19 strong-side defensive end and No. 3 prospect in Minnesota in the class of 2021 according to 247Sports. His scouting report reads:

Very long, but lean right now. Needs to bulk up and get stronger in college. Very good, fluid athlete. Runs well, can pursue and shows explosiveness as a basketball dunker. For being under-weight right now, he plays a physical game. Plays with attitude and intensity. Gets off the ball well and shows discipline in setting the edge. Has not fully concentrated on football yet and needs to work on technique and general polish, but upside is huge. Lower floor, but ceiling is that of a Power Five starter and potential Sunday player.

National Signing Day: Four-star DE Davon Townley commits to Penn State

Four-star Minneapolis (Minn.) North defensive end Davon Townley committed to Penn State on Wednesday morning.

Four-star Minneapolis (Minn.) North defensive end Davon Townley committed to Penn State on 247Sports’ National Signing Day Show Wednesday morning.

Townley picked Penn State over an offer list that featured nearly 20 contenders for his services, including Arizona, Arizona State, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ole Miss, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington.

“Penn State is the right choice because I’ve built the strongest relationship with these coaches over time,” Townley told 247Sports’ Allen Trieu.

Townley did not play football until his junior year of high school, but quickly rose to stardom on the gridiron thanks to a 6-foot-6, 220-pound frame that allowed him to wreak havoc on defense and frequently get to opposing quarterbacks. The COVID-19 pandemic shortened Townley’s senior season, but he was still able to register 42 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks, while adding five catches for 149 yards and two touchdowns while playing tight end.

Townley is the No. 321 recruit, No. 19 strong-side defensive end and No. 3 prospect in Minnesota in the class of 2021 according to 247Sports. His scouting report reads:

Very long, but lean right now. Needs to bulk up and get stronger in college. Very good, fluid athlete. Runs well, can pursue and shows explosiveness as a basketball dunker. For being under-weight right now, he plays a physical game. Plays with attitude and intensity. Gets off the ball well and shows discipline in setting the edge. Has not fully concentrated on football yet and needs to work on technique and general polish, but upside is huge. Lower floor, but ceiling is that of a Power Five starter and potential Sunday player.