Penn State Football: Tracking the Nittany Lions' Transfer Portal Moves

Spring transfer season has arrived, as the NCAA Transfer Portal opened April 16 for 10 hectic days. Penn State football coach James Franklin said he wants a "no-surprises" stretch until the Blue-White Game on April 26, but there's bound to be at least one.

Tag along here as we track the Nittany Lions' moves and what they mean.

Penn State kicker enters the portal

Kicker Chase Meyer, who transferred to Penn State last season after playing at Tulsa and Penn, is back in the portal. Meyer announced his decision on social media, saying that he will enter the portal as a graduate transfer. Meyer will have two seasons of eligibility remaining after redshirting with the Nittany Lions.

Meyer did not see action for the Nittany Lions last season, for which he was a preseason nominee for the Lou Groza Award. He was third-team All-AAC in 2023 at Tulsa, where he made 17 of 20 field goals.

Another former defensive lineman commits to North Carolina

Bill Belichick has landed two former Nittany Lions on his first college roster. Defensive lineman Joseph Mupoyi, who entered the portal April 22, has signed with North Carolina, according to On3's Pete Nakos. He'll join former teammate Smith Vilbert, who has signed with the Tar Heels for his seventh season of eligibility.

Former linebacker commits to USC

Former Penn State linebacker Ta'Mere Robinson committed to USC after spending less than a week in the transfer portal. Robinson told On3 of his decision. Penn State does not play USC during the regular season.

The 6-3, 230-pound linebacker from Pittsburgh spent two seasons at Penn State and likely would have played in the Nittany Lions' two-linebacker rotation. USC, which offered Robinson in 2022, might offer a more direct line to starting, however.

Defensive lineman enters the portal

Joseph Mupoyi, a defensive end-turned-tackle, entered the portal April 22, as first reported by On3. Mupoyi became the fourth Penn State scholarship player to enter the portal during the April window. Mupoyi, who spent two seasons at Penn State, has three years of eligibility remaining.

Mupoyi's decision is interesting because he plays a position where Penn State is searching for depth. Penn State coach James Franklin recently listed Mupoyi among the group of tackles competing for a spot in the rotation. Penn State really has only one veteran tackle in Zane Durant. Otherwise, the Nittany Lions are trying to get a big group up to speed.

Two defensive players enter the portal

The first scholarship defensive players to make their decisions public after the portal opened were linebacker Ta'Mere Robinson and cornerback Jon Mitchell. Here's a look at each.

Ta'Mere Robinson: The redshirt freshman from Pittsburgh was a bit of a portal surprise, considering that Franklin said recently that the linebacker was "trending in the right direction" after some early career injuries.

"As much as anything, it's his confidence in being able to just go out there and play and not think about the injuries that he's had in the past," Franklin said. "He's playing very well right now, but we're going to need to continue that all summer and then into the season."

Robinson plays a delicate position in Penn State's defense. The Lions plan to run a 4-2-5 base defense next season, which will require fewer linebackers, but depth at the position is sparse. Penn State will rely on Tony Rojas, who has been in injury recovery this spring, and senior Dom DeLuca as the starters.

But after them, the Nittany Lions will look toward untested players such as Keon Wylie, Anthony Speca and DaKaari Nelson. That's what made Robinson an appealing talent this spring, notably because he was getting many of Rojas' reps. Still, Robinson likely saw that he wasn't going to start and chose to transfer.

Jon Mitchell: The sophomore cornerback played in six games last season, largely on special teams, though he did get 21 defensive snaps against Purdue. Mitchell is from Florida, which might have had something to do with his decision to enter the portal. Penn State has depth at cornerback, which also likely impacted Mitchell's choice.

Offensive lineman JB Nelson enters the portal

Nelson made his decision official after it was first reported by On3. The sixth-year lineman, who spent two seasons at Lackawanna College before transferring to Penn State, would have been a significant player on the Nittany Lions' line. He started eight games in 2023 and played a bunch of rotation snaps at guard and tackle last season.

Nelson is a valuable player. He's a plug-and-play lineman who can swing across the line and perform reliably. However, Penn State's starting line largely was set at four positions, with the right guard spot up for grabs this spring. With sophomore Cooper Cousins taking the lead there, Nelson looked for a starting opportunity elsewhere.

Penn State will host the Blue-White Game on April 26 at Beaver Stadium.