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Penn State to host two former top 50 recruits from the transfer portal this weekend

Penn State football is expected to host a pair of one-time highly touted high school recruits out of the transfer portal this weekend.

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Sep 9, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans defensive lineman Bear Alexander (90) deflects a pass by Stanford Cardinal quarterback Justin Lamson (8) in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The College Football Playoff won’t roll into Happy Valley until next Saturday, but this weekend is also shaping up to be significant for James Franklin and Penn State football. According to multiple reports on Thursday and Friday, the Nittany Lions are set to host a pair of one-time top-50 defensive line prospects who have entered the transfer portal.

The Nittany Lions are hosting former Georgia and USC defensive tackle Bear Alexander as the former four-star recruit makes his second appearance in the portal. In September, Alexander decided to redshirt for the remainder of the season after playing in three games for the Trojans.

Alexander posted 52 total tackles over 15 games with USC. Coming to Troy by way of Athens in April 2023, he had nine tackles and two sacks as a member of the Georgia Bulldogs in 2022.

As a recruit, the On3 Industry Rankings evaluated Alexander as the No. 43 overall prospect and the No. 7 defensive lineman nationally. Now, 247Sports ranks him as the No. 25 player and the No. 3 defensive lineman in the transfer portal.

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Staying on the defensive front, Penn State football will also welcome former four-star edge rusher Enai White. A graduate of Philadelphia’s Imhotep Institute, White spent his first three collegiate seasons at Texas A&M. After nabbing 11 tackles and two sacks over 12 games as a freshman and sophomore, he played in only one game this fall.

The second-ranked prospect out of Pennsylvania in the 2022 cycle, White was rated as the No. 38 player in the class, according to 247Sports. On3 views the former Aggie as a three-star and the 35th-ranked defensive end as a transfer.

The visits suggest that James Franklin and Deion Barnes are making a concerted effort to add talent in the trenches this portal window. Attrition struck the defensive line room in 2024. The Nittany Lions saw Hakeem Beamon leave the program and Alonzo Ford suffer a long-term injury over a two-week span in November. Further, veterans Dvon J-Thomas and Coziah Izzard will have exhausted their eligibility once this winter’s postseason run is complete.

Penn State football is also expected to host Louisiana Tech defensive lineman and Levittown native David Blay this weekend.

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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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