Penn State football ranks at bottom of B1G in spring transfer portal grades

James Franklin and Penn State football left much to be desired in the spring transfer portal window, says one of the sport’s major talent evaluation outlets. Grading each of the Big Ten programs on their portal activity this spring, Rivals recently placed the Nittany Lions at the bottom of the pack in the revamped conference. But is this ranking an accurate reflection of Penn State’s approach to the portal this offseason?

Penn State football ranks near bottom of the Big Ten in spring transfer portal grades

The exit door swung open repeatedly for Penn State football in the closing hours of the spring transfer portal window, with five departures announced before the end of the 48-hour grace period on May 2.

The Nittany Lions lost eight players in total this spring. No new faces have entered the halls of Lasch, either, after James Franklin and his staff brought in six transfers this winter.

But that imbalance was still enough for Rivals to place Penn State near the bottom of the conference in its Big Ten spring transfer portal rankings released last month. The Nittany Lions join Illinois, Nebraska, and Ohio State as the four programs to earn a C- grade from the outlet, the lowest among the conference’s 18 teams.

How did each Big Ten program do in the spring transfer portal window? pic.twitter.com/uDaDgNsSnN

— NCAA Transfer Portal (@RivalsPortal) May 29, 2024

Is the Nittany Lions’ poor portal ranking justified?

Does a below-average grade rightly evaluate how Penn State football handled the transfer portal this spring? By the numbers, yes. But does it tell the whole story of the Nittany Lions’ portal situation? Well, it’s complicated. 

Penn State did lose a good number of bodies, but the program was also in a position with scholarships where it could afford to. And only three of those eight former Nittany Lions have committed to Power Four programs.

James Franklin and his staff hit the portal hard this winter, bringing in two ex-five-stars and two former four-stars. But it’s also not fair to say the Nittany Lions addressed all their needs this winter, with wide receiver remaining a significant concern.

The receiver issue looms even larger coming out of the spring after losing three bodies from the room. Franklin praised his receiver room coming out of spring ball, but there also wasn’t much to choose from elsewhere if he wasn’t pleased. Only five of the top 50 pass catchers in the 2024 transfer portal class entered this spring, including the Nittany Lions’ own KeAndre Lambert-Smith. 

Bottom line, for a program that prioritizes fit out of the portal, the spring window was definitely not the “nightmare scenario” that some claimed it might be.  But at the same time, the pressure is on for Franklin and Penn State football to win with what they do have in 2024.

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