Penn State has been pretty active in the transfer portal this offseason, and there could still be more to come. With James Franklin and his staff expected to pull a quarterback out of the transfer portal between now and the start of the season, the Nittany Lions are poised to have more key players added through the transfer portal than ever before.
One transfer addition has already been labeled one of the best transfer additions of the year, according to USA TODAY. Defensive end Arnold Ebiketie, who transferred to Penn State from Temple, was included in a list of the 15 biggest transfers of the college football offseason, up to this point at least.
“The Nittany Lions lost some key players on defense to the portal but picked up a nice addition with Ebiketie,” Erick Smith of USA TODAY wrote. “He led the Owls with 8½ tackles for loss and four sacks and was second with 42 tackles in just six games last season.”
Penn State’s defensive line will certainly have a new look this year, with PJ Mustipher the only returning starter for the line this season. Odafe Oweh and Shaka Toney were each drafted by NFL teams in the 2021 NFL draft. Antonio Shelton opted to leave Penn State for the Florida Gators. Shane Simmons initially retired but has since decided to come out of retirement and search for a new home. Penn State has also seen Judge Culpepper transfer to Toledo and Brandon Taylor entered his name in the transfer portal as well.
Getting Ebiketie to come in from Temple, and to do so during the spring was a nice boost for the defensive line this spring.
“Enrolled for the spring semester, he’s already impressed coaches with his athletic talent and ability to make plays,” Smith wrote.
Penn State also added Duke transfer defensive tackle Derrick Tangelo to the mix. Tangelo and Ebiketie are each expected to be starters for Penn State in the fall.
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