Penn State football lands former blue chip lineman, SEC starter from portal

Penn State football is already moving on to 2025 less than 24 hours after its season came to an end at the hands of Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl.

On Friday afternoon, James Franklin and the Nittany Lions earned a transfer portal commitment from former Texas A&M offensive lineman TJ Shanahan Jr.

Shanahan kept his commitment message short and sweet, simply announcing “Done Deal” on his social media.

Done Deal. pic.twitter.com/rdhL34o708

— Tj Shanahan Jr. (@TShanahan66) January 10, 2025

Shanahan appeared in 10 games for Texas A&M as a redshirt freshman this season, making five starts. Battling through a spurt of injuries this fall, Shanahan was part of multiple 200-plus yard rushing performances for the Aggies in 2024.

A product of Westlake High School, Shanahan was ranked as the top interior offensive lineman in Texas by Rivals in the class of 2023. A four-star, Shanahan was the No. 170 overall recruit and No. 11 lineman in the Lone Star State in the On3 Industry Rankings.

Penn State football transfer portal tracker

TJ Shanahan becomes the fourth transfer to commitment to Penn State football this winter. He joins receivers Kyron Hudson and Devonte Ross and former Texas A&M teammate Enai White.

With the Nittany Lions’ elimination from the College Football Playoff loss on Thursday night, the transfer portal window now reopens for Penn State players for a five-day period.

Outgoing transfers

• Feyisayo Oluleye, WR – Entered portal on November 13.
• Jerry Cross, TE – Entered portal on December 2. Committed to Memphis on December 21.
• TA Cunningham, DL – Entered portal on December 9.
• Beau Pribula, QB – Entered portal on December 15. Committed to Missouri on December 22.
• Jason Estrella, WR – Entered portal on December 27.

Incoming transfers

• Kyron Hudson, WR – Entered portal from USC on December 5. Committed on December 16.
• Enai White, DE – Entered portal from Texas A&M on December 11. Committed on December 20.
• Devonte Ross, WR – Entered portal from Troy on December 16. Committed on December 24.
• TJ Shanahan, OL – Entered portal from Texas A&M on December 9. Committed on January 10.

Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation, one of the fastest-growing outlets covering Penn State athletics. Part of the Full Ride network, we are an alumni-owned and operated, credentialed media outlet dedicated to providing you with updated and reliable insights for all your favorite Nittany Lion sports. Whether it’s Penn State football, basketball, wrestling, or anything in between, you can find it all on Basic Blues Nation!

Please follow us on our social channels, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube, and subscribe to our newsletter on Substack for breaking news and notifications. For feedback, questions, or concerns, please email us at basicbluesnation@gmail.com or direct message us on social media.