What We Learned About Penn State on the Transfer Portal's Opening Day

Day 1 of the portal was hectic for the Nittany Lions, who retained several important players while losing another quarterback.

Penn State Nittany Lions cornerback Audavion Collins (2) celebrates after recovering a fumble on a punt return during the second quarter against the Northwestern Wildcats at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Opening Day of the 2026 transfer portal was hectic for Penn State, which retained several key players and sustained a surprising loss. The portal will continue to be a speed-racing space until it closes Jan. 16.

As of 6 p.m. Friday, 31 Penn State football players were in the portal, including three quarterbacks, five wide receivers and four defensive ends. Penn State also made several coaching changes Friday, including the introduction of defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn and the departures of two more assistants.

Here are the highlights of Penn State's first day in the portal. For lists of who's staying and going, check out our comprehensive portal tracker.

The top four Nittany Lions who announced they're staying

Penn State kicker Ryan Barker (94) kicks a PAT after a touchdown in the fourth quarter against Michigan State at Spartan Stadium. | Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images

1. Yvan Kemajou: A freshman defensive end, Kemajou emerged as a game-changing pass rusher, generating five tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. With Penn State's defensive line undergoing deep change, Kemajou is a player new coordinator D'Anton Lynn will build around.

2. Audavion Collins: A season-long starter at cornerback, Collins will team with freshman Daryus Dixson to form a strong starting pair of cover corners. The redshirt junior was Penn State's most consistent cornerback through the season. Terry Smith's return mattered here.

3. Ryan Barker: A second-year starter, Barker represents a major victory for Campbell and returning special teams coach Justin Lustig. He made 94.7 percent of his field goals (a Penn State record and the FBS' best success rate) and was perfect (6-for-6) from 40-49 yards. Big "whew" here.

4. Quinton Martin Jr.: After going without a carry for the entire regular season, Martin broke out with a 101-yard game against Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl. If he can use that as a launch point, the redshirt freshman could be a starting contender next season.

A new world at quarterback

Penn State quarterbacks Ethan Grunkemeyer, left, and Jaxon Smolik pose for a photo together during football media day in Holuba Hall. | Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jaxon Smolik entered the portal Friday, becoming the third Penn State quarterback to signal intent to transfer. He joins Ethan Grunkemeyer (who could reunite with James Franklin at Virginia Tech) and Bekkem Kritza in sweeping out the room.

Smolik had a tough two seasons at Penn State. He missed 2024 with an injury and missed the second half of 2025 with another injury sustained on a run play at Iowa. Smolik has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

Their departures mean that Penn State will start a transfer quarterback in 2026 for the first time in, well, probably its history. Former Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht reportedly is visiting Penn State this weekend, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel, and should be signing soon.

King Mack returns to the portal

Penn State Nittany Lions safety King Mack (16) intercepts a pass during the fourth quarter against the Indiana Hoosiers at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

This was among the most unexpected portal decisions. Mack started his career at Penn State in 2023, played one season at Alabama in 2024 and returned to Penn State in 2025 with a "grass isn't always greener" ethos.

Though things changed dramatically, Mack seemed to embrace them. Before the Pinstripe Bowl, Mack challenged some of his teammates regarding the leaked audio of a players' meeting, saying that it showed a "lack of leadership." He also sounded on board with Campbell's approach.

"He's very honest, he's straightforward," Mack said of Campbell. "He sees where we went wrong this year, and his job is to get it fixed as soon as possible and to use all the seniors as one big group to help us fix all those issues as well. Coach Matt Campbell plans on changing the culture."

Noteworthy Penn State departures

Penn State Nittany Lions running back Cam Wallace (26) runs with the ball during the fourth quarter against the Nevada Wolf Pack at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Running back Cam Wallace began the season by leaping over a Nevada defender in the opener, literally launching himself into the conversation as Penn State's No. 3 back. That didn't materalize, however.

Wallace finished the season with five carries for 23 yards and did not play in the Pinstripe Bowl. Redshirt freshman back Corey Smith, who started the Pinstripe Bowl and ran nine times for 21 yards, joined Wallace in the portal.

Redshirt freshman Eagan Boyer (6-8, 291 pounds) showed promise in the Pinstripe Bowl, making his first start at left tackle. He is one of four offensive linemen transferring. Safety Lamont Payne Jr. is moving on after playing in just the first three games of the season. He was listed as out for three others, including the regular-season finale at Rutgers. Payne was a 4-star prospect in the 2023 class.

Important decisions to come

Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Amare Campbell (24) and cornerback Zion Tracy (7) pursue Rutgers Scarlet Knights quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Penn State's most important player yet to announce is linebacker Amare Campbell. The North Carolina transfer blossomed into one of the team's best defensive players, leading the Nittany Lions in tackles (103), ranking second in tackles for loss (9.5) and and taking control of the calls.

Cornerback Zion Tracy, the team's starting nickel with a year of eligibility remaining, is still out there, as are some key members of the 2025 recruiting class. They include 5-star offensive lineman Malachi Goodman, 4-star tight end Andrew Olesh and 4-star linebacker LaVar Arrington II.

What happens next for Penn State? Stay on top of all the Nittany Lions news by subscribing to the Penn State on SI Daily Digest. The newsletter is your free daily window into Penn State sports.