Penn State football OL C.J. Thorpe to switch positions, enter transfer portal
Penn State redshirt junior offensive lineman C.J. Thorpe will enter the transfer portal as a defensive lineman, he announced via Twitter on Thursday afternoon.
“These past 4 years at Penn State have taught me unforgettable lessons,” Thorpe said in the statement. “There have been trials and tribulations that helped me to grow into the person I am today. For all these things, the good and the bad I am thankful.”
The 6-foot-3, 313-pound Glenshaw native briefly played on the defensive line during his redshirt freshman season in 2018 but he’s played only on the offensive line the past two seasons for the Nittany Lions. After appearing in all 13 games and making three starts at right guard in 2019, Thorpe only played in six of Penn State’s nine games this season and made three starts.
The loss of Thorpe marks the second offensive lineman to announce that he won’t be back next season for the Nittany Lions. Starting redshirt senior offensive lineman Will Fries announced late last month that he won’t use his additional season provided by the NCAA’s blanket eligibility waiver and will instead prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft.
Penn State is also expected to lose another starter on the offensive line in redshirt senior Michal Menet. Redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Rasheed Walker and redshirt junior offensive lineman Mike Miranda have yet to announce their decisions on whether they’ll enter the NFL Draft or return for another season.
