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NEWS: Penn State football loses top in-state RB to late transfer portal exit

In what is becoming a wave of late transfer portal exits, Penn State football is now losing the former top running back in the state of Pennsylvania for the 2023 cycle.

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Penn State football, James Franklin, London Montgomery, transfer portal
Penn State's freshman running back London Montgomery (24) celebrates following the Nittany Lions' 63-0 win against Massachusetts Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023, in State College, Pa.

Redshirt freshman running back London Montgomery is entering the transfer portal, reports indicate on Thursday. One of the top recruits in the Keystone State in 2023, injury and a loaded running back room for Penn State football kept Montgomery from the field last fall. Montgomery is part of a wave of Nittany Lions to enter the transfer portal in the closing hours of the processing window following Tuesday’s deadline for underclassmen.

Penn State football loses London Montgomery in late transfer portal departure

After a very brief stint with the Penn State football program, London Montgomery will be looking for a new program. First reported by Tyler Donohue of Lions247, the redshirt freshman running back will enter the transfer portal this week. The deadline for undergraduate players to enter was Tuesday at midnight, but there is a 48-hour period for schools to process requests, leading to the delay in reporting.

London Montgomery was the top running back and the No. 9 overall player in Pennsylvania in the 2023 recruiting cycle, per 247Sports. However, the Scranton Prep talent suffered a knee injury prior to his senior year, stunting his recruiting rise and limiting his readiness for Penn State football last fall. Ultimately, Montgomery didn’t see the field as a true freshman.

“London has struggled to put some weight on,” James Franklin said of Montgomery and Cam Wallace in October. “But in terms of football IQ, in terms of their vision, their ability to pass pro, they’ve shown that they’re tough and they’ll stick their faces in there. The Sunday night scrimmages have been really good.

Nittany Lions getting hit late

It had been a rather dull spring transfer portal window for Penn State football up until Thursday. The Nittany Lions lost only three players before the window for undergraduate players closed on Tuesday evening.

However, Penn State football nearly doubled that number in a matter of hours on Thursday afternoon. Sophomore safety King Mack was the first domino to fall, followed by redshirt freshman walk-on running back David Kency.

Montgomery’s departure was included in a wave of exits that included senior wide receiver Malik McClain and redshirt senior offensive lineman Golden Israel-Achumba. Penn State football is now up to eight transfer portal departures since the end of spring practice.



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Matt is a co-owner and Editor in Chief of Basic Blues Nation. Launched in 2022, Basic Blues Nation is one of the fastest-growing websites covering all Penn State athletics, with over 3.5 million readers in 2023. Matt is also a credentialed member of the Penn State football beat, and is a member of the Football Writers Association of America.

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