Penn State transfer portal tracker: Nittany Lions add North Carolina linebacker
The transfer portal opened April 16 for all college football players, after several Nittany Lions headed elsewhere during the winter portal window — with six new players coming to the program during that time as well.
The spring window stayed open until April 25. Former North Carolina linebacker Amare Campbell became the latest addition in early May, with anyone in the portal still eligible to commit elsewhere and no end date for when players commit.
Here’s everyone that has entered the portal from Penn State thus far, according to multiple reports.
Check back for updates.
Outgoing
TE Jerry Cross
Signed: 2022 (4-star)
Status: Entered portal during winter, transferred to Memphis
Notes: Cross was the first Nittany Lion to enter the portal, a development that isn’t entirely surprising. The former four-star tight end struggled to earn playing time at his position in his first three seasons on campus, and despite an injury to third string tight-end Andrew Rappleyea, he still did not see the field. Instead, Penn State burned true freshman Luke Reynolds’ redshirt. Cross did not register a catch in his three years as a Nittany Lion.
DT TA Cunningham
Signed: 2024 (3-star)
Status: Entered portal during winter, transferred to Garden City Community College
Notes: Cunningham’s departure is more of a surprise after he redshirted this season. The now-former Nittany Lion was adding weight and strength to prepare to play defensive tackle in the Big Ten, but will now presumably do so elsewhere. Cunningham was listed as out on the Penn State availability report all season and did not make his collegiate debut.
QB Beau Pribula
Signed: 2022 (3-star)
Status: Entered portal during winter, transferred to Missouri
Notes: Pribula is the biggest loss for Penn State thus far, especially because of the impact not having him could have on the team this year. He will be in search of a new home instead of playing in the College Football Playoff, leaving the Nittany Lions without their backup quarterback and one of the versatile weapons offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki deployed. Pribula will likely find a spot as a starter at his new school, but his loss could impact PSU sooner rather than later.
CB Cam Miller
Signed: 2022 (4-star)
Status: Entered portal during winter, transferred to Rutgers
Notes: Miller is the first defensive contributor to enter the portal this cycle. He was a starter as the team’s fifth defensive back after safety K.J. Winston went down with an injury early in the season and forced safety Jaylen Reed back to his safety position. Miller finished the year with 27 tackles, five passes defended and a sack for the Nittany Lions. Miller could have had a chance to start on the outside this coming season with Jaylen Kimber announcing his departure for the NFL, but he likely would have been in a battle for that job. The addition of King Mack also means there likely would have been a fight for playing time at the fifth defensive back spot that Miller held down late in the year.
WR Tyler Johnson
Signed: 2022 (3-star)
Status: Entered portal during winter, transferred to East Carolina
Notes: The first wide receiver departure has taken place with more potentially coming. Johnson is longer with the program, according to a program spokesperson. He did not record a reception in his time as a Nittany Lion and struggled to earn playing time at wide receiver.
S Mekhi Flowers
Signed: 2022 (4-star)
Status: Entered portal during winter, transferred to Akron
Notes: Flowers will move on from Penn State after not working out at safety or wide receiver in his three years with the program. He recorded two tackles in 2023 but was unable to crack the stat sheet otherwise at either position. His role was mostly limited to special teams.
S Tyrece Mills
Signed: 2022 (3-star)
Status: Entered portal during winter, transferred to UConn
Notes: Penn State lost another safety when Mills entered the portal after a few years with the program. He originally joined from Lackawanna and contributed in the red zone as an extra defensive back this season. Despite that, he only accrued 15 tackles this year, although he added a game-sealing interception against Boise State in the College Football Playoff.
WR Omari Evans
Signed: 2022 (3-star)
Status: Entered portal during winter, transferred to Washington
Notes: Arguably Penn State’s fastest player is set to leave the program. Evans will reportedly go in the portal after his junior year, when he caught 21 passes for 415 yards and five touchdowns. Evans played quarterback in high school but his speed made him an appealing option at receiver for Penn State, although he was unable to become a No. 1 option like the team needed at the position. While he has the talent to be a major contributor, it remains to be seen if he can be a consistent enough option to live up to his athleticism.
WR Tre Wallace
Signed: 2021 (4-star)
Status: Entered portal during winter, transferred to Ole Miss
Notes: Penn State’s No. 1 receiver will go in the portal as the position group continues to turn over. Wallace led the Nittany Lion wideouts with 46 catches for 720 yards and four touchdowns for the team this season, trailing only tight end Tyler Warren. Wallace’s departure will put even more pressure on incoming transfers Kyron Hudson and Devonte Ross to contribute immediately since the team’s starting wideouts are now both heading out of town.
DE Smith Vilbert
Signed: 2019 (3-star)
Status: Entered portal during winter, transferred to North Carolina
Notes: Vilbert entered the portal and will head to North Carolina where he will have a chance to start. The now-former Nittany Lion could have been a key part of Penn State’s defensive end rotation had he stayed, but his spot will likely be filled by a young player on the roster. Vilbert accrued 4.5 sacks in his Penn State career, with three of them coming against Arkansas in the Outback Bowl at the end of the 2021 season.
OG JB Nelson
Signed: 2022 (4-star)
Status: Committed to Kansas State
Notes: Nelson was removed from the roster the week prior to the transfer portal opening, with the expectation that he will enter the portal when it opens. The now-former Penn State interior offensive lineman was competing with sophomore lineman Cooper Cousins for the starting left guard spot during the spring and was seen at practice on April 8. With his departure, Cousins is now expected to earn the starting job.
CB Jon Mitchell
Signed: 2024 (4-star)
Status: Committed to Georgia Tech
Notes: Mitchell was one of the top recruits in Penn State’s 2024 class and was set to be a depth piece for the Nittany Lions this season. He appeared in six games for the program in 2024, mostly on special teams. Mitchell’s departure will impact the team’s cornerback room down the road, but is unlikely to have a large impact on the 2025 season.
LB Ta’Mere Robinson
Signed: 2023 (4-star)
Status: Committed to USC
Notes: Robinson’s departure will impact Penn State’s two-deep at linebacker. He was in line to back up Tony Rojas and be the next man up in the middle of the defense as it tries to replace Kobe King who left for the NFL. In previous iterations of Penn State’s defense, Robinson may have started this season, but defensive coordinator Jim Knowles tends to have five defensive backs on the field, leaving room for only two linebackers.
DT Joseph Mupoyi
Signed: 2023 (3-star)
Status: Committed to North Carollina
Notes: Mupoyi was an upside play when Penn State added him in the 2023 recruiting class. He initially joined the program as a defensive end but added enough weight to potentially play at defensive tackle while retaining the athleticism that made him an appealing prospect. He was unable to crack the rotation in 2024 as a redshirt freshman and was unlikely to do so during the 2025 season.
Incoming
WR Kyron Hudson
Signed out of high school: 2021 (4-star), joined Penn State in January
Previous team: USC
Notes: Penn State made its first portal addition when Hudson announced his commitment to the program. The former Trojan receiver was a contributor for USC this season, catching 38 passes for 462 yards and three touchdowns — including a highlight reel one-handed grab against LSU in his team’s season opener. Hudson was the Trojans’ third-leading receiver this season and should be able to come in and contribute for the Nittany Lions.
DE Enai White
Signed out of high school: 2022 (4-star), joined Penn State in January
Previous team: Texas A&M
Notes: The Nittany Lions picked up their first defensive player when White announced his commitment to join them next season. He’s a former top-50 player in the country as a recruit, but did not produce much in his three years as an Aggie, tallying only two sacks — one each in 2022 and 2023. He will have two years of eligibility remaining after redshirting in 2024 due to an October injury that brought his season to an end.
WR Devonte Ross
Signed out of high school: 2021 (3-star), joined Penn State in January
Previous team: Troy
Notes: Penn State picked up its second wide receiver from the portal when Ross announced his commitment via Instagram. He finished first-team all-conference in the Sun Belt this season after racking up 1,043 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns on 76 receptions, including five catches for 142 yards and two touchdowns against Iowa on Sept. 14. Ross should immediately contribute with only one year of eligibility remaining.
OL TJ Shanahan
Signed out of high school: 2023 (4-star), joined Penn State in January
Previous team: Texas A&M
Notes: PSU picked up its first offensive lineman from the portal — and its second former Aggie — when it added Shanahan on Jan. 10. He has three years of eligibility remaining after redshirting during the 2023 season and getting five starts for Texas A&M during the 2024 season. Shanahan should help compete for the starting guard spot that will be vacated by Sal Wormley’s departure. He and several other Nittany Lions could rotate into the spot thanks to the team’s strong depth on the interior of the offensive line.
DL Owen Wafle
Signed out of high school: 2024 (4-star), joined Penn State in January
Previous team: Michigan
Notes: The Nittany Lions added a second defensive lineman from the portal on Jan. 11 when Wafle announced his commitment to the program. He’s a 2024 recruit who didn’t play this season, which means he has all four years of eligibility left at Penn State. His addition should help the team’s depth at defensive tackle with Dvon J-Thomas departing. Notably, his younger brother Luke Wafle is a four-star defensive line recruit in the 2026 class and is a target for Penn State and defensive line coach Deion Barnes.
S King Mack
Signed out of high school: 2023 (4-star), joined Penn State in January
Previous team: Alabama
Notes: There may not be a more interesting addition for Penn State the rest of the portal cycle than Mack. He started his career as a Nittany Lion and had a good freshman year in 2023, but left for Alabama in the offseason. He then struggled to take the next step with the Crimson Tide and will now try and have a big year back with the program he started his career with. Mack is slightly undersized at safety, but has shown enough athleticism to be a starter. It would not be a surprise if he takes over the third safety role this season for Penn State with Jaylen Reed departing, with him playing more in the slot and closer to the line of scrimmage as a starter.
WR Trebor Pena
Signed out of high school: 2020 (3-star), committed to Penn State in April
Previous team: Syracuse
Notes: Penn State’s third receiver addition out of the transfer portal could be its third starter. Pena joins Hudson and Ross as players who could get plenty of playing time this season, and the latest addition could provide added stability to the position group. Pena is a slot receiver who made second team All-ACC in 2024, tallying 941 receiving yards and nine receiving touchdowns on 84 catches for the Orange. He should step in right away and be the leading candidate to start in the slot for the Nittany Lions and could be a reliable target for Penn State quarterback Drew Allar.
LB Amare Campbell
Signed out of high school: 2023 (3-star), committed to Penn State in May
Previous team: North Carolina
Notes: Campbell committed to the Nittany Lions after spending the first two years of his college career at North Carolina. He was productive for the Tar Heels last season, racking up 45 tackles and 6.5 sacks. The linebacker will come in and compete for playing time under defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and should help replace Robinson, who left the Nittany Lions for USC. Campbell should see plenty of playing time over his remaining two years of eligibility.
This story was originally published April 11, 2025 at 11:22 AM.
