Penn State Basketball: Puff Johnson Reportedly Will Enter Transfer Portal

Johnson, who played four seasons at North Carolina and Penn State, joins a growing trend among college athletes.

Penn State's Puff Johnson dribbles the ball toward the basket as Oregon Ducks forward Kwame Evans Jr. defends during the first half at Bryce Jordan Center. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Puff Johnson, the former Penn State basketball player who has played four seasons in college, reportedly will enter the NCAA Transfer Portal potentially to seek another year. On3's Matt Zenitz first reported the news, which follows a growing trend in college sports.

College athletes who have exhausted their eligibility are entering the portal seeking to extend their playing careers through potential legal challenges. That includes multiple Big Ten basketball players, Johnson among them.

Here are the Big Ten players who entered the transfer portal and do not appear to have eligibility remaining:

Julian Reese
Mike Mitchell Jr.
Lu’Cye Patterson
Femi Odukale
Dawson Garcia
Keenan Fitzmorris
Brandon Angel
Puff Johnson
Saint Thomas
Carter Gilmore

— Inside the Hall (@insidethehall) April 25, 2025

According to Front Office Sports, some athletes without eligibility are entering the portal as pre-emptive measures in case lawsuits against the NCAA change eligibility rules. College athletes currently have five years to play four seasons, but some have sued the NCAA challenging a variety of eligibility rules, including that restriction. The NCAA is concerned that such legal challenges could alter the entire framework of college eligibility.

Johnson has played in parts of six seasons during his college career. He played 14 games at North Carolina during the 2020-21 season, for which athletes received a COVID eligibility waiver. Johnson played the next two seasons at North Carolina before transferring to Penn State.

Johnson played in 29 games, starting 12, for the Nittany Lions in 2023-24. He returned as a starter and team leader last season, averaging 10.2 points and 4.4 rebounds in 17 starts. But Johnson sustained a hand injury against Michigan State on Jan. 15 that ended his season.

Penn State coach Mike Rhoades said Johnson's injury led to a "tremendous loss" for the Nittany Lions. Penn State went 1-7 in the eight games immediately following Johnson's injury and finished the season 16-15 after starting with a 12-2 record.

"It definitely was a tremendous loss, and I think you're seeing why it was such a tremendous loss right now," Rhoades said in February.

Johnson was the Pennsylvania Class 5A player of the year as a senior at Moon Area High near Pittsburgh. He was a top-100 recruit in the 2020 class and initially chose North Carolina from an offer sheet that included Arizona, Miami, Ohio State and Pitt.

Technically, Johnson is the sixth player from Penn State's 2024-25 roster to enter the transfer portal. The list includes freshmen Miles Goodman, who transferred to Oregon, Hudson Ward (Western Michigan) and Jahvin Carter (Middle Tennessee).

In addition, Penn State's Yanic Konan Niederauser has declared for the 2025 NBA Draft but announced that he will return to the Nittany Lions if undrafted. Kachi Nzeh, who transferred to from Xavier to Penn State, is leaving the Nittany Lions after one season.