REPORT: Penn State football in contact with No. 1 transfer portal OL

Connections are everything in college football. In today’s age of the transfer portal, tea leaves can often be read as to a prospect’s landing spot based on the prior relationships and ties formed in recruiting. Penn State football has an excellent opportunity to put this theory into practice with the No. 1 OL currently in the transfer portal. According to reports, the Nittany Lions have been in contact with Chase Bisontis, the former top prospect from New Jersey who recently announced his departure from Texas A&M.

Former top recruit from New Jersey Chase Bisontis hits transfer portal

The transfer portal has been a hotbed of activity over the last week. One of the programs hardest hit has been Texas A&M, with several of the Aggies’ top players hitting the portal in the wake of the coaching transition from Jimbo Fisher.

One name to keep an eye on for Penn State football is Chase Bisontis. The former top player in New Jersey in the 2023 recruiting class, Bisontis entered his name into the transfer portal on December 6. After starting all 12 games for Texas A&M at RT and being named a freshman All-American by On3, Bisontis once again finds himself among the top prospects in the nation. The former Aggie is currently ranked as the No. 1 OT in the transfer portal by 247Sports.

Penn State has reportedly already been in contact with the top-ranked portal prospect. But James Franklin and the Nittany Lions will have to get in line. Chase Bisontis tells Hayes Fawcett of On3 that 26 schools have contacted him since entering the portal this week. Penn State football joins Michigan, Oregon, Ohio State, Georgia, and LSU as some of the most notable programs that have reached out so far.

Former Texas A&M OL Chase Bisontis tells @on3sports he has heard from these 2️⃣6️⃣ Schools since entering the Transfer Portal

The Freshman All-American is ranked as a Top 10 Player in the On3 Industry Transfer Portal Rankings 👀https://t.co/TvB613RjC3 pic.twitter.com/pQXTQwJXcS

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) December 9, 2023

Can Penn State football land the No. 1 OL in the portal?

Penn State football would seem like a logical landing spot for Chase Bisontis coming out of the portal. The Nittany Lions can certainly sell the “coming home” pitch. A fellow New Jersey native, Penn State OL coach Phil Trautwein also has ties to the Garden State that could help in this recruitment as well.

Franklin and Trautwein also now have a use case that they can highlight for Bisontis in Olu Fashanu. The two-time All-American is most likely a top-five NFL Draft pick, paving the way for an open spot at OT.

The Nittany Lions already addressed the potential need for OTs in the transfer portal this offseason. On Monday, Penn State football landed a commitment from Shorter University’s Alan Herron, the No. 7 ranked OL prospect in the portal.

While adding another top OT would be a serious boost, the competition for Bisontis will be stiff. On3 currently has the No. 1 OL in the transfer portal staying in the SEC, favoring a landing spot at LSU. But as we all know, transfer portal recruitments can develop quickly, so Chase Bisontis is a name to watch in the days to come.

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