Penn State adds run-on receiver Jake Spencer through transfer portal
Penn State head coach James Franklin signaled the program’s offseason intentions and areas of needs during the early signing day.
Whether through normal recruiting or the transfer portal, he said, Penn State would have interest and needs to fill on the offensive line, wide receiver, defensive end, defensive tackle, and linebacker.
On Christmas Eve, Penn State welcomed its first addition through the transfer portal in the offseason cycle. Mitchell Tinsley, a four-year receiver at Western Kentucky, made the call to play his bonus season of eligibility for the Nittany Lions.
Monday evening, Penn State’s receivers room got another boost.
Announcing his decision via Twitter, redshirt freshman Colgate receiver Jake Spencer committed to play for Penn State next season. A second transfer portal addition, Spencer will fill a preferred run-on spot with the Nittany Lions.
Spencer will have three seasons of eligibility remaining to play at Penn State after taking a redshirt in 2020, then playing in the full 2021 season.
Jake Spencer transfer portal decision
Spencer made the call to leave the Raiders on Jan. 8 via Tweet, thanking Colgate for the opportunity it’d provided him.
“First and foremost, I would like to thank you for everything you have done for me. I would like specifically thank Coach Dakosty, Coach Horn, Coach Hunt, and every other coach that made it possible for me to play at Colgate.
“To my teammates, thank you for making me a better friend, player, and overall person. I will always cherish the memories and relationships we have made. I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to play at such a highly athletic and academically competitive school. It was a true honor to
be a Colgate Raider. With that being said, I will be entering the Transfer Portal with my final 3 YEARS OF IMMEDIATE ELIGIBILITY.”
Landing at Penn State
Taking a visit to Penn State this past weekend, Jan. 22, was enough for Spencer to make the call.
Coming off his first full season of action at Colgate, Spencer was a limited contributor to the Raiders’ offense. He finished with three receptions for 14 yards, but found a bigger role as a kick returner on special teams.
There, Spencer had 20 kickoff returns for 378 yards including a season-long of 29 yards against Stony Brook in the second week of the season.
In high school, Spencer was an unrated prospect out of Haverford School.
