Penn State football targeting transfer portal lineman

Since Penn State’s 5-0 start in 2021 turned into a 7-6 finish due to injuries and other issues, head coach James Franklin has taken the program’s depth incredibly seriously. On Saturday, the college football transfer portal re-opened, leading Penn State football to recruit a no-star transfer portal offensive lineman from Wyoming: Emmanuel Pregnon.

Penn State football targeting O-Line transfer

Saturday was an important day for the Penn State football program for a few reasons, the most obvious of which was the Blue/White spring game, which saw the Blue team take a 10-0 victory over the White. Following the spring game, James Franklin and his staff returned to the recruiting trail and landed two significant commitments over the weekend. Now, attention is focusing on the transfer portal, which re-opened for the second time this year ahead of the 2023 season. During Franklin’s spring game presser, he pointed to defensive tackle and wide receiver as two needs that Penn State will target in the portal; however, he added that the Nittany Lions would never turn down a difference maker.

That seems to be the case right now, as Penn State football is looking to add a critical depth piece to its offensive line: Emmanuel Pregnon, an interior offensive lineman from Wyoming that carries a massive, physical frame.

Who is Emmanuel Pregnon?

Emmanuel Pregnon is a former no-star offensive lineman out of Thomas Jefferson High School in Denver, CO. Pregnon was a member of the class of 2020 and hits the portal with a great deal of experience from his three years of college football with Wyoming; However, he is likely looking to take the next step in his career. Penn State football lost a lineman to the portal over the weekend, and Pregnon could be a perfect replacement for depth and perhaps to compete for a starting spot. You can never have too many linemen in the Big Ten, which is likely why Franklin is targeting a transfer portal offensive lineman ahead of summer camp.

“When you look for an NFL caliber type of player, this is that,” an SEC personnel official told On3 about Pregnon. “I feel like he’s got all the traits. He still has to become refined and still needs to develop a little bit more technique and learn to play through his hips, but I feel like this guy has a chance to start at guard, not just for us, but at a lot of schools. And everyone’s looking at o-linemen.”

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