Former Penn State quarterback re-enters NCAA transfer portal; new portal rules announced: Newsstand
Penn State news, notes, and updates for April 25 include new NCAA transfer portal guidance, a former Nittany Lion going back into the portal, headlines of the day, and more.
It’s time to dive into Thursday’s top tweets and headlines about the Nittany Lions and college athletics.
Penn State tweets of the day
We start with Michael Johnson Jr. The former Penn State quarterback is also now a former FAU quarterback. A Batesville, Ga., native, Johnson Jr., left the Lions after the 2019 season. He did not play for the Owls in 2021 and then suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in 2022. In 2023, he rushed 23 times for 144 yards and four touchdowns while also throwing one incomplete pass. He is now seeking his third and final college home to finish out his career.
In other portal news, new legislative guidance from the NCAA could have an interesting impact on the end of the spring transfer portal window. The organization passed a bylaw change that players can transfer as many times as they want without sitting out a year. But, the advisory also contained this news nugget:
“Student-athletes who plan to enroll as graduate students at their next school can enter the portal at any time during the academic year but must enter the portal prior to the conclusion of their respective sports’ final transfer windows.”
This means that any Penn State player who is thinking of transferring after graduating at the end of the spring semester must declare their intent to go into the portal before commencement ceremonies take place. It may not change anything regarding where things currently stand for the Lions with outbound portal movement. But, it is something to keep in mind.
Last but not least, for this portal-heavy installment, KeAndre Lambert-Smith is officially headed to Auburn.
Headlines of the day
Highly athletic OL Olu Fashanu could make immediate impact: Linderman, Daily Collegian
What is Penn State getting in Freddie Dilione, latest transfer portal addition?: Bauer, BWI
Penn State Football Draft Primer Ahead of Potentially Historic Weekend: Jones, Statecollege.com
Penn State risers from spring camp: Carr, BWI
NFL mock draft roundup: Penn State football prospect projections: Bodani, YDR
What was behind Penn State offensive line commit Owen Aliciene earning a fourth star?: Snyder, BWI
What’s in a name? Penn State’s Beaver Stadium namesake left his mark on more than venue: Centre Daily Times
Penn State NFL Draft predictions: How many players will go, and where will they end up?: Pickel, BWI
Police: Penn State star LB Abdul Carter accused of assaulting tow truck driver: WJAC
Quote of the day
“Just based off of what we’ve learned about him, and then going back and watching the film with that added context, I liked what he showed. He plays some good competition up there at Avon and I think he held his own. Being able to go back and watch some more individual games on him, and just having that time to kind of drill down and watch full game film, I like it a lot. I thought it was very encouraging. Honestly, he was on the fringe for us in the last On300 update, so after just learning more about the overall group, I think Alicene stacks up pretty well. He’s a guy who is certainly going to continue improving.”
–On3 Director of Scouting Charles Power to BWI on why Lions offensive line commit Owen Alicience earned a fourth star in the latest rankings update.
