James Franklin blasts college football transfer portal tampering

The college football transfer portal officially opened on Monday. Let the chaos ensue. However, some college football programs may have a leg up on the competition when it comes to the timeline of some portal entrants. Or at least, that’s what Penn State football coach James Franklin is worried about. During his Peach Bowl press conference Sunday night, the head coach of the Nittany Lions had some choice comments for programs perceived as tampering in the transfer portal.

Concerning: James Franklin blasts tampering in college football transfer portal

The next few weeks are perhaps the craziest time of the college football calendar. There are bowl games to prep for, coaching searches to conduct, and recruiting classes to sign. And starting Monday morning, the transfer portal is also thrown into the mix.

Or, at least, Monday morning was when the college football transfer portal was supposed to open for non-graduate players. But, most recognize the open secret that some players have contact with programs before officially entering the transfer portal.

This is what James Franklin was focused on when asked about the transfer portal during his Peach Bowl press conference. Not the first time he’s expressed the sentiment, the Penn State football coach railed against programs that tamper in the portal.

“Well, the transfer portal opens tomorrow for us legally,” Franklin said Sunday night. “But for a lot of people, it’s been open for a while, which is concerning. But we’ll look into the best players available.”

What is the transfer portal strategy for Penn State football?

Like recruiting, there’s no set and defined way to best attack the transfer portal. For Penn State football, it’s not only about identifying the most talented players available, but finding the best cultural fits for the program.

“We’re trying to create the most competitive roster that we possibly can,” James Franklin said. “Our players understand that. We told him that when we recruited them, whether it’s high school players or whether it’s transfer portal guys. We just want to create as much competition as we possibly can in the locker room and go from there. But you know, that’s really what we’re looking for. As best players [as] available, and obviously guys that are the best fits for our locker room and our campus and community.”

By and large, James Franklin and the Nittany Lions have been successful at finding transfers who contribute on the field but are also good fits inside the Lasch Building. As of Thursday morning, Penn State football has lost three players from its current roster to the portal. The Nittany Lions have already offered several graduate players in the portal, most notably at wide receiver.

On the field, Penn State prepares to take on Ole Miss in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on December 30.

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