Penn State transfer portal arrival tracker: Nittany Lions another Cyclone
The transfer portal is now open and players have begun choosing their new destinations.
Penn State is expected to have numerous players incoming in this year’s portal cycle with a new head coach in Matt Campbell and plenty of Nittany Lions on their way out in the transfer portal. Campbell is likely to bring in several players from his previous program, Iowa State, where he coached for a decade.
Here’s everyone who has committed to Penn State from the transfer portal as of Jan. 15, according to multiple reports.
Check back for updates.
TE Benjamin Brahmer
Portal rating: 4-star
Previous team: Iowa State
Notes: Brahmer has 75 career catches for 977 yards and nine touchdowns, and was one of the best weapons in the Iowa State offense when he’s been on the field. This past season, he was their third-leading pass catcher with 446 receiving yards and led the team with 37 catches and six receiving touchdowns. He should slot in with Andrew Rappleyea at the top of the depth chart and has one year of eligibility remaining.
OT Will Tompkins
Portal rating: 3-star
Previous team: Iowa State
Notes: Tompkins did not play in his first year, and is a long-term piece for the Nittany Lions along the offensive line. While he is unlikely to contribute early, he could be a swing option for Penn State, but has enough size to stick on the outside if need be. Tompkins has four years of eligibility remaining.
S Marcus Neal Jr.
Portal rating: 4-star
Previous team: Iowa State
Notes: Neal is a big get for Penn State and should immediately step in as a starter in the secondary. The former Iowa State safety is one of the better Cyclone defenders to go into the portal, with two interceptions in 2025 and a wealth of experience despite entering after his sophomore year. He has two years of eligibility remaining.
TE Gabe Burkle
Portal rating: 4-star
Previous team: Iowa State
Notes: Burkle joins Brahmer as tight ends to join the Nittany Lions from Iowa State. He will likely slot in behind Brahmer and Rappleyea on the depth chart, but it would not be a surprise if offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser leaned into heavy tight end sets to get all three players on the field. Burkle had 26 catches for 302 yards and a touchdown in 2025 with the Cyclones. He has one year of eligibility remaining.
QB Rocco Becht
Portal rating: 4-star
Previous team: Iowa State
Notes: Becht is a decisive passer who is can — and does — make big-time throws that stretch defenses down the field. His quick release and decision-making were a good fit in the Cyclones offense, which was led by Taylor Mouser, who is now Penn State’s offensive coordinator. Becht’s experience with Mouser should allow him to hit the ground running with the Nittany Lions as the offense begins to take shape for 2026. He has one year of eligibility remaining.
QB Alex Manske
Portal rating: 3-star
Previous team: Iowa State
Notes: Manske was Becht’s backup in 2025 and should be the quarterback of the future for the Nittany Lions. He was a four-star recruit out of high school and played sparingly in his lone season with the Cyclones, completing four of his five pass attempts for 28 yards. Manske will likely be in line to start as a redshirt sophomore in 2027 if all goes according to plan for the Nittany Lions moving forward.
WR Brett Eskildsen
Portal rating: 3-star
Previous team: Iowa State
Notes: Eskildsen joins Penn State after he was Iowa State’s leading receiver in 2025. He caught 30 passes for 526 yards and five touchdowns as a sophomore after playing in all 13 games as a freshman — including a start in the Pop-Tarts Bowl at the end of that year. He will come in with a good chance to start right away for Penn State with two years of eligibility remaining.
LB Caleb Bacon
Portal rating: 3-star
Previous team: Iowa State
Notes: Bacon does not have a lot of sizzle to his game, but brings some stability to the linebacker position. He has good instincts and is a sound tackler, but lacks the athleticism necessary to be elite at the position. The former walk-on should be able to contribute on defense in his one remaining year of eligibility.
RB Carson Hansen
Portal rating: 3-star
Previous team: Iowa State
Notes: Hansen joins Penn State after starting at Iowa State. He has run for at least 750 yards in the last two seasons, including 952 last year but did so while splitting carries with Abu Sama II, who is committed to Wisconsin. Hansen had at least 100 rushing yards in six different games this season, and will likely be one of the team’s main running backs in 2026. He has one year of eligibility remaining.
OT Kuol Kuol II
Portal rating: 3-star
Previous team: Iowa State
Notes: Kuol is a developmental player at offensive tackle but has a lot of upside at the position long-term. He was a four-star recruit out of high school and redshirted during his lone season at Iowa State. He will join Penn State with all four years of eligibility remaining.
LB Cael Brezina
Portal rating: 3-star
Previous team: Iowa State
Notes: Brezina is the second linebacker to join after Bacon. He has played in both of his two seasons with the Cyclones and was a contributor at the second level for them. He totaled 29 tackles in 2025, along with a forced fumble and a pass defended. Brezina will have two years of eligibility remaining.
OG Trevor Buhr
Portal rating: 3-star
Previous team: Iowa State
Notes: Buhr joins Penn State after starting six games in each of the last two seasons for the Cyclones and playing in 21 of them. He will have a chance to earn a starting job to the Nittany Lions on the interior of the offensive line with the group in need of replacements after four of the five starters up front have departed. Buhr will have two years of eligibility remaining.
LB Kooper Ebel
Portal rating: 3-star
Previous team: Iowa State
Notes: Ebel is the third linebacker to join Penn State and will help stabilize a position that did not play well for most of the 2025 season. He’s played in 34 games and has been a starter for the last two seasons for the Cyclones, accumulating 77 tackles, three passes defended, two sacks and a forced fumble in the 2025 season. Ebel will have one year of eligibility remaining.
WR Karon Brookins
Portal rating: 3-star
Previous team: Iowa State
Notes: Brookins did not play for the Cyclones in 2025, utilizing his redshirt as a true freshman. That will give him four years of eligibility at Penn State, giving him plenty of time to develop. The 6-foot-5 receiver has the upside to be an impact starter down the road for the Nittany Lions at a position that was a weakness for the program in recent years.
DL Alijah Carnell
Portal rating: 3-star
Previous team: Iowa State
Notes: Carnell spent two seasons at Iowa State, redshirting in his first while playing in four games and accruing two tackles. He then played in 11 games in 2025, earning 0.5 sacks and six tackles. Carnell played in a three-man front at Iowa State and will have to transition to a four-man front at Penn State under defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn. Carnell has three years of eligibility remaining.
WR Chase Sowell
Portal rating: 4-star
Previous team: Iowa State
Notes: Sowell is a former Iowa State receiver, and joins Penn State after catching 32 passes for 500 yards and two touchdowns in his only season with the Cyclones. He started his career with Colorado, but has transferred twice since, first to East Carolina, then to Iowa State after two years with ECU. He has a chance to be the No. 1 option in the Penn State offense in 2026 and could be the best receiver the program has had in a few years.
S Jamison Patton
Portal rating: 3-star
Previous team: Iowa State
Notes: Patton has played in 34 games for the Cyclones, and has recorded four interceptions in that time. He should come in and compete for a starting job alongside Neal, and will have a chance to play meaningful snaps for Penn State with both Zakee Wheatley (out of eligibility) and King Mack (in the transfer portal) departing the NIttany Lions. Patton has one year of eligibility of remaining.
WR Zay Robinson
Portal rating: 3-star
Previous team: Iowa State
Notes: Robinson is the fourth receiver to transfer in from Iowa State, and like Brookins he has four years of eligibility remaining after redshirting in 2025. The freshman receiver caught one pass for zero yards against Oklahoma State for his only catch of the season.
DT Keanu Williams
Portal rating: 3-star
Previous team: UCLA
Notes: Williams is the first non-Iowa State player to commit to Matt Campbell, but he does come with ties to the staff. He spent the last three seasons at UCLA with Ikaika Malloe, including 2023 when Malloe coached the Bruins defensive line. Malloe is joining Penn State’s staff as a defensive assistant. Williams is a big defensive tackle at 6-foot-5, 320 pounds and he should be able to compete for a starting job after starting 23 games in three seasons with the Bruins, which includes an injury-shortened 2024 campaign.
OL Vaea Ikakoula
Portal rating: 3-star
Previous team: Iowa State
Notes: Ikakoula played in four games as a true freshman with the Cyclones, preserving his redshirt, but also started the team’s final two games of the year as an extra offensive lineman. He’s an imposing guard at 6-foot-3, 355 pounds and could come in and develop into a starter. He has four years of eligibility remaining.
DE Alexander McPherson
Portal rating: 3-star
Previous team: Colorado
Notes: McPherson was a contributor in his lone year at Colorado, playing in 10 games and missed two because of an injury. He tallied 202 snaps on defensem where he earned half a sack and six quarterback hurries, while blocking a punt on special teams. McPherson combined for 16 total tackles in his freshman year on those two units, and will have three years of eligibility remaining.
DT Armstrong Nnodim
Portal rating: 3-star
Previous team: Oklahoma State
Notes: Nnodim is a stout defensive tackle at 6-foot-2, 290-pound. He redshirted in his first season in 2024 with the Cowboys but played in all 12 games in 2025. He has excellent strength and could come in right away and compete for a spot in the rotation on the defensive line. Nnodim has three years of eligibility remaining.
RB James Peoples
Portal rating: 3-star
Previous team: Ohio State
Notes: Peoples committed to the Nittany Lions after two years with the Buckeyes where he played in 22 games. He racked up 541 yards and five rushing touchdowns across his two seasons with Penn State’s Big Ten rival and will likely come in and compete for playing time, with former Iowa State running back Carson Hansen leading the backfield.
DT Dallas Vakalahi
Portal rating: 3-star
Previous team: Utah
Notes: Vakalahi comes to Penn State after two seasons at Utah where he played in 18 games — nine in each season. He registered two sacks in his freshman season and should help the Nittany Lions on the interior with his size. He’s listed at 6-foot-2 and 318 pounds and has two years of eligibility remaining.
S Omarion Davis
Portal rating: 3-star
Previous team: Boston College
Notes: Davis contributed to the Boston College defense in his lone season with the Eagles, playing in all 12 games including earning two starts. He recorded 13 total tackles and should come in and contribute for the Nittany Lions as a true sophomore. Davis will have three years of eligibility remaining.
DT Siale Taupaki
Portal rating: 3-star
Previous team: UCLA
Notes: Taupaki is entering his eighth season of college football after joining UCLA in the summer of 2019. He has received multiple medical redshirts and became a contributor for the Bruins in the last few seasons, playing in 24 games across 2024 and 2025, with eight starts. The 6-foot-4, 310-pound defensive tackle has one year of eligibility remaining.
CB Ibn McDaniels
Portal rating: 3-star
Previous team: Syracuse
Notes: McDaniels played in 15 games in his two seasons with the Orange, with four coming in his first year when he redshirted and 11 coming in the 2025 season. He will likely be a depth piece for the Nittany Lions, but he has good size at 6-foot-3 and could grow into a starter down the road. McDaniels has three years of eligibility remaining.
TE Cooper Alexander
Portal rating: 3-star
Previous team: Iowa State
Notes: Alexander is the third tight end to join the program from Iowa State, and will do so after spending two years with the Cyclones. He redshirted his first year after having season-ending surgery following the season opener. Alexander played in 11 games in 2025, finishing with five catches for 47 yards. He’ll have three years of eligibility remaining.
C Brock Riker
Portal rating: 3-star
Previous team: Texas State
Notes: Riker might be underrated as a three-star portal recruit. He’s from Brock, Texas, and redshirted his first year with Texas State before becoming the program’s starter at center. He is a great athlete for a center but will need the offseason to add strength after transitioning away from Texas State’s up-tempo attack. The Nittany Lions beat out Alabama for Riker, who has three years of eligibility remaining.
S Chris Fileppo
Portal rating: 3-star
Previous team: West Virginia
Notes: Fileppo did not receive interest from Penn State out of high school but played in all 12 games with West Virginia in 2025. He could be a special teams contributor early on, but at 6-foot-4, is a likely candidate to change positions on defense and move to linebacker. He has three years of eligibility remaining, plus a potential redshirt.
DB Jeremiah Cooper
Portal rating: 4-star
Previous team: Iowa State
Notes: Cooper had an injury cut short his 2025 season with the Cyclones but has been very good when he’s been on the field. He’s played in 38 games and started in 36 of them, including all of his appearances over the last three seasons. He’s a versatile defensive back who was first team All-Big 12 in 2023. Cooper should have a good chance to start in the secondary for Penn State and will have one year of eligibility remaining.
P Nathan Tiyce
Portal rating: N/A
Previous team: Mississippi State
Notes: Tiyce joins from the SEC after coming to the United States from Australia and played his freshman year at Mississippi State at 25 years old. Tiyce, who is listed at 6-foot-5, 230 pounds will have three years of eligibility remaining.
WR Keith Jones Jr.
Portal rating: 3-star
Previous team: Grambling State
Notes: Jones will bring plenty of upside to the Nittany Lions and has the size and athleticism to make a major impact down the line. He’s 6-foot-4 and an elite athlete, with some production at Grambling State as a redshirt freshman. He caught 31 passes for 438 yards and four touchdowns in 2025 and will have three years of eligibility remaining.
OL Tyshon Huff
Portal rating: 3-star
Previous team: Tiffin
Notes: Huff comes from the Division II ranks but brings a year of starting experience with him to the Nittany Lions. The 6-foot-4 offensive lineman will likely slot inside at guard after starting in 11 games in 2025. He will have two years of eligibility remaining at Penn State.
K Cristiano Rosa
Portal rating: N/A
Previous team: James Madison
Notes: Rosa comes from James Madison where he spent two seasons as the Dukes’ kickoff specialist. He played in 27 games over that span, with 114 touchbacks on 159 kickoffs. Rosa began his career at Central Connecticut where he spent two seasons. He will have on year of eligibility remaining.
DL Ikenna Ezeogu
Portal rating: 3-star
Previous team: Iowa State
Notes: Ezeogu played in 39 games over the last three years at Iowa State after redshirting in his first year as a Cyclone. He bumped up from a rotation player to a starter in 2025, earning starts in all 12 games and amassing three tackles for loss and a team-leading seven quarterback hurries. He will have one year of eligibility remaining.
This story was originally published January 4, 2026 at 3:54 PM.
