Ex-Penn State football defender joins ACC program via transfer portal

It didn’t take long for a one-time veteran of the Penn State football program to find a new home. On Tuesday, former Nittany Lions defensive lineman Jordan van den Berg announced that he was committing to Georgia Tech out of the transfer portal. The graduate transfer announced his departure from Penn State on March 1, and joins the ACC program after appearing in 11 games for the Nittany Lions in 2023.

Jordan van den Berg commits to Georgia Tech out of the transfer portal

The transfer portal journey for Jordan van den Berg was one of the quicker experiences we’ve seen for departing Nittany Lions this offseason. The redshirt junior announced he was leaving the Penn State football program two weeks ago and officially entered the transfer portal on Monday.

On Tuesday, van den Berg announced that he was moving from the Big Ten to the ACC, committing to Georgia Tech. “I’m coming home,” van den Berg posted on social media. The South African native went to Providence Christian Academy in Lilburn, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta.

I’M COMING HOME!!!🐝🐝🐝 pic.twitter.com/UPBZnsogRt

— Jordan van den Berg (@JordanvandenB12) March 12, 2024

Jordan van den Berg came to Penn State in 2021 by way of Iowa Western Community College. Highlighted on Bruce Feldman’s college football freaks list last year, van den Berg recorded 26 tackles and 2.5 sacks in three seasons for the Nittany Lions. He will have two years of college eligibility remaining. 

Other former Penn State football players make portal decisions

Jordan van den Berg is the fifth scholarship player and eighth Nittany Lion overall to hit the transfer portal since the end of the 2023 season.

Other former Penn State football players to find new programs out of the transfer portal include wide receivers Dante Cephas and Cristian Driver, who committed to Kansas State and Minnesota, respectively. Punter Alex Bacchetta committed to Rice in December, while walk-on defensive back Jace Tutty joined Youngstown State.

Fellow outgoing Nittany Lions Ibrahim Traore, Jake Wilson, and Mason Stahl have yet to officially announce transfer destinations.

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