Penn State football offers transfer portal WR with NFL ties

It may not officially open until Monday, but the transfer portal is already starting to heat up. Big names from across the country have already declared their intentions to transfer, with some already being projected to new programs. As Penn State football assesses its portal needs, WR stands out above the rest. James Franklin and the Nittany Lions have already made swift work here, offering a second transfer portal WR this week. And this offer to former North Texas WR Ja’Mori Maclin has some NFL lineage attached to it. 

Penn State offers transfer portal WR Ja’Mori Maclin

On Wednesday, North Texas WR Ja’Mori Maclin entered the transfer portal. Maclin is the cousin of Jeremy Maclin, a former first-round Draft pick and an eight-year NFL veteran. The older Maclin, also a WR, amassed 6,835 career receiving yards and 49 touchdowns in his NFL career. 

Like his cousin, Ja’Mori Maclin started his collegiate career at Missouri. Maclin has one reception in three games during the 2020 season, and missed most of 2021 due to injury. After entering the transfer portal for the first time, Maclin caught 16 passes for 380 yards and two touchdowns in 2022 for North Texas. The transfer portal WR broke out this year, recording 57 catches for 1,004 yards and 11 scores. 

James Franklin and Penn State football officially offered Ja’Mori Maclin on Thursday, one day after he entered the transfer portal. The Nittany Lions will have to compete with numerous schools for Maclin’s talents. According to On3, the transfer portal WR is already trending towards Michigan State or Cincinnati. 

North Texas WR Ja'Mori Maclin has been STACKING offers since entering the NCAA Transfer Portal🔥

Maclin had 1,004 receiving yards and 11 TDs this season👀https://t.co/EkA1s8s0KV pic.twitter.com/obUyTDPvOl

— On3 (@On3sports) December 1, 2023

Nittany Lions offense is in period of transition

Clearly, anyone who watched Penn State football this season likely recognizes the need to find talent at WR in the transfer portal. The Nittany Lions struggled to find a clear second target behind KeAndre Lambert-Smith all season.

Penn State has already been active in the portal trying to address this need. The offer to Maclin is a second to a transfer portal WR this week. Another name to watch is Kris Mitchell, the brother of incoming 2024 Penn State commit Jon Mitchell. 

But the Nittany Lions are in an interesting position. Just reported last night, Kansas offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki was hired by James Franklin to fill the void left by Mike Yurcich. Kotelnicki and Franklin will have to do work to define the make-up of the new Penn State offense and identify talent accordingly. 

We’re bound to see numerous transfers pop up – in both directions – when the transfer portal officially opens on Monday. But at any rate, it appears that the Nittany Lions will be attacking WR hard this offseason.

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