Penn State January checklist: Sort out portal possibilities, figure out any staff changes, and more
Penn State is ready to put 2021 in the rearview mirror.
The Lions completed their latest season with a 7-6 mark after falling to Arkansas in the Outback Bowl, 24-10.
There are no breaks in the college football world, for the most part. And, while they do come in parts of May and July, they certainly do not appear now.
Here’s our monthly look at what’s on PSU’s checklist now as January kicks off 2022.
What will happen with Penn State and the portal?
Penn State has had some transfer portal dealings since the regular season ended. However, those will go into overdrive now.
As we’ve seen across college football over the last month, the end of one season leads to many searching for a new school to play at before the next one. With spring semesters starting up in the next week or two, things should be fairly active over the next seven to 10 days.
Which Penn State players will leave? And, who could the Lions get from elsewhere in addition to Western Kentucky transfer Mithcell Tinsley?
Stay tuned, because we’ll soon find out the answers to both questions
Will any staff changes be made at Penn State?
Penn State already lost one staff member when Brent Pry left for the top job at Virginia Tech.
Will any other changes be made to Franklin’s staff?
There are no suggestions yet that any firings will take place. But, it can’t be ruled out.
One to watch closely in terms of someone who could voluntarily move on is special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach Joe Lorig. He is reportedly being targeted by Oregon to take the same job on new coach Dan Lanning’s staff.
“Obviously he’s been pursued,” Franklin said. “He is being pursued. I think you guys know that. That information has been out in the public. But we’ll see how that plays out. We’ll see how that plays out. There’s a lot of things that factor into this, as you guys could imagine, some professional and some personal. But we’ll see how that goes.
“I think you guys know I’ve been pretty adamant in the past about the type of moves, lateral moves, but there’s also some factors when it comes to where guys are from. Both Joe and his wife are from there, so that factors into this thing as well.”
Another situation to watch popped up early Monday morning. Longtime Lions off-field staffer Michael Hazel is reportedly headed to Virginia Tech to join Brent Pry’s staff, per Bruce Feldman.
Will any more Class of 2022 additions be made?
Penn State signed 23 recruits back on National Signing Day in December.
The second one is in February. The Lions are not currently linked to any uncommitted high school seniors, but that could change over the next 30 days or so. Visits can take place in the middle of the month, and so if any addition are going to happen, seeing who comes to campus will offer a lot of insight.
Penn State roster decisions must be made
There are a few players who still need to make stay-or-go decisions. That list includes tackle Rasheed Walker, specialist Jordan Stout, and defensive tackle PJ Mustipher. Expect those decisions to be announced prior to the spring semester starting on Jan. 10.
