What We Learned About Penn State on Day 5 of the Transfer Portal Window

The Nittany Lions had another busy day, highlighted by a transfer commitment from a former Ohio State running back.

Ohio State Buckeyes running back James Peoples (20) celebrates a touchdown during the NCAA football game against the UCLA Bruins at Ohio Stadium. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Penn State expanded its transfer reach beyond Iowa State on Tuesday, adding a running back from Big Ten rival Ohio State, and lost a player who initially announced that he would return. Day 5 of the transfer portal window was another hectic one for Penn State, which added five more players while losing six.

Miss any of Penn State coach Matt Campbell's previous moves? We have portal updates from opening day, Day 2, Day 3 and Day 4. On to Day 5.

Penn State's portal numbers

A general view of the scoreboard at Beaver Stadium as Matt Campbell is announced as the Penn State Nittany Lions new head coach during a press conference. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

• 47: Penn State players in the transfer portal

• 29: Penn State players who have announced plans to return

• 24: Players transferring into the program

• 20: Former Iowa State players transferring to Penn State

• 11: Former Penn State defensive lineman in the portal

RELATED: Penn State 'LBU' great returns on Matt Campbell's coaching staff

An Ohio State running back joins the Nittany Lions

Ohio State Buckeyes running back James Peoples (20) runs with the ball in the third quarter against the Miami Hurricanes during the 2025 Cotton Bowl. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Penn State's biggest move of the day involved its Big Ten rival. James Peoples, a running back who spent two years at Ohio State, announced that he will join the Nittany Lions. It's a major move for a program that lost two record-setting backs in Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton.

Peoples played a rotational role in Ohio State's backfield this season, rushing for 344 yards on 61 carries. He did not record a carry in Ohio State's past three games, including postseason losses to Indiana and Miami.

Peoples (5-10, 206 pounds) played two seasons at Ohio State, giving him two years of eligibility remaining. He was the fourth-ranked running back of the 2024 recruiting class and a top-100 players overall. Peoples will pair with fellow transfer back Carson Hansen, who was Iowa State's leading rusher last season.

Penn State starter changes his mind

Clemson Tigers wide receiver T.J. Moore (1) fights for yards against Penn State Nittany Lions safety Dejuan Lane (10) during the first half of the 2025 Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Sophomore safety Dejuan Lane announced his return Jan. 1 with one of the more pointed statements of the portal cycle. "Rather drown with my guys before I ever jump ship," Lane wrote in a social-media post that has been deleted.

Why was it deleted? According to On3, Lane will enter the portal after two seasons. It was a surprising decision, considering that Lane started three games, including the Pinstripe Bowl, and appeared to have a sure spot in a changing safeties room.

Penn State has landed three safeties from Iowa State, including all-Big 12 player Marcus Neal Jr., which might have played a role in Mack's decision. Still, he's a player who will find a starting home soon.

Penn State's defensive line reset continues

Colorado Buffaloes defensive end Alexander McPherson goes for the tacke vs. Houston Cougars quarterback Conner Weigman. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Penn State is losing an astonishing 14 defensive linemen from its 2025 team, marking a total position reboot. Eleven of those players entered the portal, including three more Tuesday.

They include defensive Cortez Harris and Mylachi Williams. Harris (6-3, 228 pounds) who played in two games. Williams, a redshirt freshman from Philadelphia, was a 4-star prospect in the 2024 class and MVP of the Catholic League at Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast.

Both players could follow Deion Barnes to South Carolina. Freshman tackle Randy Aririka, who did not play in 2025, is leaving as well.

Campbell turned to the portal beyond Iowa State to continue repopulating the position. He received commitments from tackle Armstrong Nnodim (Oklahoma State), end Alexander McPherson (Colorado) and tackle Keanu Williams (UCLA). In addition, former Iowa State tackle Aliah Carnell will follow his coach to Penn State.

Williams is the most experienced player of the group, having started 11 games at UCLA last season. He'll be a sixth-year senior at Penn State playing for his third team. Williams spent two years at Oregon, where he played in 10 games, before transferring to UCLA.

Williams missed most of the 2024 season with an injury but returned this season to make 39 tackles. At 6-5, 320 pounds, Williams brings Campbell-approved size to the interior.

Nnodim, a redshirt freshman, played in five games for Oklahoma State, while McPherson made 15 tackles as a freshman for the Buffaloes. He signed with Colorado from IMG Academy.

Elsewhere, former Penn State starting defensive end Zuriah Fisher signed with USC for his seventh season. Fisher missed most of two seasons at Penn State with injuries but returned this past season to start 11 games.

Penn State's latest departures

Penn State wide receiver Tyseer Denmark (4) runs after a catch during the Blue-White game at Beaver Stadium. | Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Of Tuesday's six portal entrants, two were offensive players: receiver Tyseer Denmark and running back Jabree Coleman.

Denmark, a redshirt freshman, played in eight games, catching two passes for 17 yards. Former interim coach Terry Smith lobbied for more snaps for Denmark late in the season, which didn't materialize. Denmark played five offensive snaps in the last six games, two in the Pinstripe Bowl. He was a 4-star prospect from Imhotep Charter who initially committed to Oregon in 2022.

Coleman, a freshman who did not play this season, was a 4-star back from Philadelphia's Imhotep Charter, where he rushed for more than 2,700 yards in his last two seasons. Coleman joined backs Corey Smith and Cam Wallace in the portal.

Two offensive linemen headed to Florida

Penn State football offensive line coach Phil Trautwein smiles as he listens to a question from a reporter during an interview in Holuba Hall. | Dan Rainville/USA Today Network - PA / USA TODAY NETWORK

Phil Trautwein was a popular offensive line coach in his six seasons at Penn State, where he helped develop three linemen (including first-rounder Olu Fashanu) get drafted in 2024 and guided Vega Ioane into a 2026 first-round pick.

After the season, Trautwein returned to Florida, his alma mater, where he was part of two national-championship teams as a player. Trautwein will bring with him two linemen who started the Pinstripe Bowl.

TJ Shanahan Jr., who transferred from Texas A&M to Penn State, will play for his third school. Shanahan started four games, including the bowl game, at guard and should earn a role quickly with the Gators.

Redshirt freshman tackle Eagan Boyer also is following Trautwein to Florida. Boyer played in the last seven games, starting the Pinstripe Bowl at left tackle. He was a top-30 tackle in the 2024 recruiting class, and Trautwein spoke highly of him.

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