Penn State's James Franklin Has an 'Aggressive' Plan for the Transfer Portal

The Nittany Lions don't pursue big transfer classes but will target players to fill critical roster needs.

Penn State coach James Franklin motions on the sidelines during the first quarter against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. / Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

These are exciting times for Penn State football, as the team prepares for its first playoff game against SMU at Beaver Stadium. But in this age of college football, December is also about preparing for the future. The NCAA Transfer Portal opened Monday, marking the beginning of the chaos in offseason player movement.

There won’t be clarity on Penn State’s positional needs until coach James Franklin knows which current players will declare for the NFL Draft or enter the portal, which two have done: tight end Jerry Cross and defensive lineman T.A. Cunningham. But with the playoff on deck, that isn’t the main concern for most of the Nittany Lions’ top players right now.

Usually, Penn State would have a sense by early December regarding which players would be set to transfer. However, the recent Big Ten Championship appearance, the early signing period and playoff preparations have complicated that. Still, Franklin said Sunday that he’s pushing his staff to be “aggressive” in the portal.

“Typically, when your season ends and you're in that time getting ready for a bowl game, you have time to sit down with all of your players and find out what's going on, who's coming back, who's considering going into the transfer portal,” Franklin said. “A lot of those things impact your decision-making on who you're going to try to go out and get to replace those guys with. So it's hard to come up with a plan. We'll do that this week, but we're probably a week behind other programs.”

While things have been relatively quiet for Penn State so far, they won’t be for long. The portal’s first transfer window will be open until Dec. 28. Here are some position groups that Penn State will target.

Wide receiver

Penn State faces no potential player decisions that should sway it from acquiring a wide receiver, or two, from the transfer portal. It wasn’t all bad for Nittany Lions receivers in 2024, as Harrison Wallace III (638 receiving yards, four touchdowns) is having a solid campaign, while Omari Evans and Liam Clifford each had 100-yard games.

However, tight end Tyler Warren caught nearly as many regular-season passes (81) as the top four receivers combined (84). And since he’s headed to the NFL, Penn State will need new top-tier pass catchers in 2025 if they’re going to build on 2024’s offensive success.

Among the wideouts who reportedly have entered the portal, one option for Franklin could be former NC State receiver KC Concepcion, who had an offer from Penn State in 2022 before committing to the Wolfpack, er 247Sports. Concepcion, who completed his sophomore season, had 1,299 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns over two seasons at NC State and was named the ACC Rookie of the Year in 2023.

Another option could be former Alabama wide receiver Caleb Odom, who On3’s Hayes Fawcett reported entered the transfer portal. Odom took an official visit to Penn State in June 2023, according to 247Sports. As a 6-5, 227-pound receiver, Odom would bring much-needed size to the Nittany Lions’ room with three years of eligibility remaining. Two more names to watch are former Kentucky receiver Dane Key, who had 715 receiving yards in 2024, and Micah Hudson, who had an offer from Penn State in 2022 before spending the current season at Texas Tech.

Defensive tackle

Penn State has a trio of defensive tackles with expiring eligibility: Dvon J-Thomas, Coziah Izzard and the injured Alonzo Ford Jr. Zane Durant could headline the group if he doesn’t opt for the draft. And Penn State just lost true freshman T.A. Cunningham to the portal. Otherwise, Franklin would be leaning on underclassmen, such as Ty Blanding and Xavier Gilliam, to step in. A veteran defensive lineman out of the portal would be a strong fit for Penn State.

Bear Alexander, who redshirted after three games at USC this season, is one target to monitor. 247Sports reported Monday that Alexander will visit Penn State after entering the transfer portal.

Bear Alexander is on the move! The Defensive Lineman is lining up visits to Oregon, Penn State, and SMU, with Texas, Colorado and a potential return to Georgia also in play. 🏈

Where do you want to see him play next season? 🤔

WATCH: https://t.co/a1sAxU4MQe pic.twitter.com/y49ZoAYsYF

— 247Sports (@247Sports) December 9, 2024

Keeshawn Silver, who received an offer from Penn State in 2020 according to 247Sports, is another potential option. Silver spent one year at UNC before heading to Kentucky for two seasons, posting one sack and 26 tackles in 2024.

Safety 

Penn State was dealt a massive blow early in the 2024 season when starting safety KJ Winston, expected to be a top NFL Draft target, went down with a long-term injury. Winston hasn’t played since, and Franklin clarified Sunday that the safety won’t be returning for the playoffs. In his absence, Jaylen Reed and Zakee Wheatley have played significant roles on Penn State’s defense, but Reed is out of eligibility. Wheatley is a redshirt junior.

There’s a chance Winston returns to Penn State in hopes of a healthy season to boost his draft stock, but that remains to be seen. Either way, the Nittany Lions would be wise to bring in some insurance at safety for 2025.

Former Purdue safety Dillon Thieneman would be an elite option in the portal. He racked up 100-plus tackles over both his freshman and sophomore seasons, adding six interceptions in his debut season. Penn State wasn’t officially in the mix for Thieneman as a recruit, but he’d be a significant addition to Franklin’s 2025 defense. Two other available options could be Cole Wisniewski, a North Dakota State transfer, and Northwestern’s Devin Turner. 

Transfer portal timeline

The winter transfer portal will remain open until Dec. 28. That makes for some interesting scenarios over the coming weeks. For example: If Penn State beats SMU and advances to the quarterfinals, current Nittany Lions seeking to transfer elsewhere would have to do so before the team’s second-round matchup against Boise State on Dec. 31. Otherwise, players are required to wait until the spring transfer portal period opens in April. 

Even without complete knowledge of which players (including quarterback Drew Allar) might return, the Nittany Lions have a short December window to make upgrades. Just how aggressive Franklin will be remains to be seen, but with the recent success programs like Oregon and Ohio State have in the portal, Penn State could improve its 2025 outlook by doing the same.

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Daniel Mader, a May 2024 graduate of Penn State, is an Editorial Intern with The Sporting News. As a student journalist with The Daily Collegian, he served as a sports editor and covered Nittany Lions women’s basketball, men’s volleyball and more. He has also covered Penn State football for NBC Sports and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, with additional work in the Centre Daily Times, Lancaster Online and more. Follow him on X @DanielMader_  or Instagram @dmadersports.