Meet Storm Duck, Penn State's Newest Cornerback
Penn State coach James Franklin was in a good mood Wednesday at Disneyland, where he made a winking reference to his team's latest transfer player.
"We also like to look for interesting, strong names from the transfer portal," Franklin told reporters at the Rose Bowl event at Disneyland.
Penn State made its first big splash in the NCAA Transfer Portal on Wednesday, receiving a commitment from All-ACC cornerback Storm Duck, who spent the last four years at North Carolina. Duck announced his decision on social media.
Duck earned second-team all-conference honors after making 46 tackles, nine pass breakups and three interceptions for the Tar Heels. He entered the transfer portal as a graduate transfer and was among the top defensive names in the transfer class. On3 ranked Duck as the No. 11 cornerback in the portal.
Duck had a winding career with the Tar Heels. He earned a starting job as a freshman in 2019, making two interceptions and five pass breakups.
But injuries sidelined him in 2020 and '21, when he played in just eight total games. Duck returned strong this season, starting 12 games for North Carolina. He has one season of eligibility remaining.
Duck, a 3-star prospect at Boiling Springs High in South Carolina, enters a strong situation at Penn State. He'll have an opportunity to take over for All-America cornerback Joey Porter Jr., who entered the NFL Draft. The Lions also return all-Big Ten cornerback Kalen King, and could bring back veterans Marquis Wilson and Johnny Dixon as well.
At Disneyland, Franklin discussed the transfer portal in general. The Lions have received commitments from two transfers, including punter Riley Thompson from Florida Atlantic, but otherwise have been judicious. Franklin said Penn State is pursuing receivers, an offensive tackle and a defensive tackle through the portal but won't be a "huge portal team."
"Once you commit to being a huge portal team, then you almost have to do it every year," Franklin told reporters at the event. "For me, it has more to do with the developmental aspect of our program and the ton of respect that I have for the players in our program. For us, a lot of times we’re just trying to solve issues, very similar to what people used to do back in the day with junior colleges."
Penn State plays Utah in the 109th Rose Bowl on Jan. 2. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:10 p.m. EST on ESPN.
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