Where Penn State Goes at Quarterback With Ethan Grunkemeyer in the Portal

The Nittany Lions will have a new starting quarterback in 2026, and their late-season starter will test the transfer market.

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer throws a pass during a warm up prior to the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer left Yankee Stadium on Dec. 27 with a decision to make regarding his future. Apparently, that future won't be with the Nittany Lions.

According to multiple outlets, and first reported by ESPN's Pete Thamel, Grunkemeyer will enter the transfer portal officially when it opens Friday. Grunkemeyer, who started seven games for the Nittany Lions, will have three years of eligibility remaining. He also will test a crowded market for FBS quarterbacks.

Grunkemeyer capped his run as Penn State's starter with his best performance of the year, throwing for a career-high 262 yards and two touchdowns in a 22-10 win over Clemson in the bowl game. Grunkemeyer was particularly sharp in the second half, going 11-for-14 for 192 yards and both scores.

After the game, Penn State center Dom Rulli was asked what Grunkemeyer proved in the game.

“That’s he’s legit, that he’s the guy,” Rulli said. “So if Coach [Matt] Campbell wants him, he’s there, to be honest. If not, I think other coaches on other teams will want him.”

NEWS: Penn State quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer intends to enter the NCAA transfer portal, he tells ESPN. He’s a redshirt freshman with three seasons remaining. He started seven games for Penn State this season and led them to four-straight wins to close the season. pic.twitter.com/pddK9tgqX3

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 1, 2026

Grunkemeyer's decision suggests that Campbell has a plan for Penn State's 2026 starting quarterback. Rocco Becht, Campbell's three-year starter at Iowa State, announced his intent to enter the portal not long after Campbell became Penn State's head coach.

The transfer fit seems natural, as Becht won 26 games for Campbell at Iowa State, including an 11-3 season in 2024. Becht had surgery on his left (non-throwing) shoulder after the regular season but is expected to make a full recovery.

Transfer quarterbacks are new to Penn State. Former coach James Franklin never brought one in from the portal, and all his quarterbacks were multi-year starters. Meanwhile, Grunkemeyer proved that he's a Power 4 starter with his finish to the season.

'A ton of growth'

{enn State Nittany Lions quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer (17) celebrates with offensive lineman Cooper Cousins (50) after a touchdown pass during the second half of the 2025 Pinstripe Bowl against the Clemson Tigers at Yankee Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Grunkemeyer entered Penn State's lineup at a chaotic time. Starter Drew Allar was injured late in the Nittany Lions' October loss to Northwestern, and James Franklin was fired the next day. Grunkemeyer made his first three starts at Iowa, at then-No. 1 Ohio State and against then-No. 2 Indiana.

But Grunkemeyer progressed a long way from that opening start at Kinnick Stadium, where he completed 15 of 28 passes for 93 yards in that game but used it as a learning experience and springboard.

Grunkemeyer improved weekly, making his first big move in the fourth quarter against Indiana, going 7-for-10 for 88 yards and a touchdown. Save for an 8-for-13 outing at Michigan State, Grunkemeyer continued to expand his play and was particularly sharp over the final three games.

He completed 91.7 percent of his passes (11-for-12) for 181 yards against Nebraska and went 17-for-21 for 209 yards and a touchdown against Rutgers. Grunkemeyer threw four interceptions but none in his final four games.

“Just a ton of growth; I’m excited about that to carry into the offseason,” Grunkemeyer said after the Pinstripe Bowl. “Get bigger, stronger, faster, and then just keep working on all the other small parts of my game to just be more accurate and keep rolling, keep the trajectory high.”

Grunkemeyer had met with Campbell and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser and thought their offense fit his game. Former Penn State interim head coach Terry Smith also tried to retain Grunkemeyer, calling him the program's future quarterback on multiple occasions.

"Every game he got better, I mean this was his best game again,” Smith said after the Pinstripe Bowl. “... He was lights out. He delivered time and time again, critical third-down throws.Down the stretch, when we needed drives and we needed plays, we knew this was the kind of game in the fourth quarter we were going to need to score every possession, and he delivered.”

Where could Grunkemeyer land? As a 4-star prospect at Ohio's Olentangy High near Columbus, Grunkemeyer received offers from Indiana, Northwestern, Cincinnati, Minnesota and Virginia, among others. The Hoosiers are looking for a replacement for Heisman Trophy winer Fernando Mendoza, while former Penn State coach James Franklin seeks a starter as well.

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