Veteran Penn State DB, PA native signs with new FBS program

Defense has been in the headlines for Penn State football this week following the historic hire of new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles on Monday. But on Tuesday, a former Nittany Lions defender made news, as veteran safety Tyrece Mills became the latest transfer portal departure to land with a new program.

Mills will stay at the FBS level in 2025, committing to the UConn Huskies. On3’s Pete Nakos was the first to report the move. The news was confirmed shortly thereafter when UConn announced that the program had signed the Philadelphia native.

Officially 𝓢𝓲𝓰𝓷𝓮𝓭 ✍️ Welcome to Storrs, @TYRECEMILLS5!#CTFootball pic.twitter.com/Q9bXxRcjpi

— UConn Football (@UConnFootball) January 28, 2025

Mills officially entered the transfer portal on January 14. He had 17 total tackles in his Penn State football career, 15 of which came last fall. Appearing in all but three games for the Nittany Lions in 2024, Mills also had a game-sealing interception at the end of December’s Fiesta Bowl.

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A product of Northeast High School in Philadelphia, Mills came to Happy Valley by way of Lackawanna Community College in 2022. He was the No. 2 safety and No. 11 overall player in 247Sports’ JUCO rankings for the 2022 cycle.

Penn State football transfer portal tracker

Tyrece Mills becomes the eighth former member of the Penn State football program to find a landing spot out of the transfer portal. Eleven Nittany Lions entered the portal this winter, including three on the defensive side of the ball.

Roster departures (11)

• Feyisayo Oluleye, WR – Entered portal on November 13.
• Jerry Cross, TE – Entered portal on December 2. Committed to Memphis on December 21.
• TA Cunningham, DL – Entered portal on December 9. Committed to Garden City Community College on January 24.
• Beau Pribula, QB – Entered portal on December 15. Committed to Missouri on December 22.
• Jason Estrella, WR – Entered portal on December 27.
• Mehki Flowers, WR – Entered portal on January 13.
• Tyler Johnson, WR – Entered portal on January 13. Committed to ECU on January 18. 
• Cam Miller, CB – Entered portal on January 13. Committed to Rutgers on January 16. 
• Tyrece Mills, S – Entered portal on January 14. Committed to UConn on January 28.
• Omari Evans, WR – Entered portal on January 14. Committed to Washington on January 22.
• Harrison Wallace III, WR – Entered portal on January 15. Committed to Ole Miss on January 19.

Roster additions (6)

• Kyron Hudson, WR – Entered portal from USC on December 5. Committed on December 16.
• Enai White, DE – Entered portal from Texas A&M on December 11. Committed on December 20.
• Devonte Ross, WR – Entered portal from Troy on December 16. Committed on December 24.
• TJ Shanahan, OL – Entered portal from Texas A&M on December 9. Committed on January 10.
• Owen Wafle, DL – Entered portal from Michigan on January 2. Committed on January 11.
• King Mack, S – Entered portal from Alabama on January 3. Committed on January 9.

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