Penn State Transfer Storm Duck Is on the Move Again
Storm Duck, who was one of Penn State's top offseason signees from the NCAA Transfer Portal, will play somewhere else next season. Less than a week after the Blue-White Game, Duck no longer is listed on the Lions' roster and is expected to re-enter the portal. Duck spent about three months with the Lions after transferring from North Carolina, where he was an All-ACC cornerback.
Duck, a senior who enrolled at Penn State as a graduate transfer, won raves from Penn State coach James Franklin and strength coach Chuck Losey for the way he approached the transition. "Storm is a perfect example of how you should conduct yourself," Losey said during the winter. Meanwhile, Franklin called Duck "businesslike."
"We've been fortunate that the guys that have gone into the transfer portal have been really good fits culturally, if you look the last couple of years, and so far it looks to be the same way with these two guys [Duck and receiver Malik McClain]," Franklin said in March. "And that's hearing from the academic staff, hearing from their peers as well as the strength staff."
However, Duck's pending departure signals just how strong Penn State's cornerback room will to be, particularly if it can afford to lose an All-ACC player. The Lions return veterans Kalen King and Johnny Dixon, the projected starters, along with nickel back Daequan Hardy. They also expect sophomore Cam Miller to take a major step and have high expectations for true freshman Elliot Washington II, who could work his way into a rotation.
The room's construction is a testament to cornerbacks coach Terry Smith, Penn State's associate head coach and Franklin's lone original staff member dating to when he took over the program in 2014.
"He’s been phenomenal, he really has," Franklin said of Smith. "He's been invaluable for us on the staff, and he's got great perspective. He's also not a 'Yes' man. You ask him a question, you're going to get an answer. For me, I value that. ... He continues to be a consistent leader inside our program and an ambassador outside our program."
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