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Former South Carolina Defensive Back Transferring to Penn State

John Dixon, a sophomore cornerback from South Carolina who had been recruited by Penn State, is headed to State College.

John Dixon, a sophomore cornerback who started eight games for South Carolina this season, announced Monday that he is transferring to Penn State.

Dixon made the announcement on Twitter, five days after declaring his plans to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal.

The Tampa, Fla., native is the second player to transfer to Penn State this postseason, joining former Baylor running back John Lovett. Dixon joins a position group that Penn State coach James Franklin said would be an offseason recruiting priority.

Dixon (6-0, 185 pounds) finished the season with 34 tackles, five pass breakups and a fumble recovery for the Gamecocks, who went 2-8. He tied career-highs with five tackles against Georgia and Mississippi. He's an experienced defensive back, having played in 22 games at South Carolina, including all 12 during his true-freshman season in 2019.

He was a three-star recruit in South Carolina's 2019 class, having been recruited by Penn State as well. Dixon took an official visit to State College in 2018 and had the Lions among his final five schools.

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