Mailbag: Which positions will Penn State target in the transfer portal?

Penn State still has plenty to play for in tomorrow’s game against Michigan State. It’s about much more than just a 7 or 8 win season.

Avoiding a loss Saturday would also assure that Penn State doesn’t finish with a losing record in Big Ten play back-to-back seasons. That’s only happened once since the Nittany Lions joined the conference, as PSU finished 1-7 in 2003, followed by 2-6 in 2004.

A win would also set Penn State up to potentially finish in the top 25 with a another win in the bowl game. Consecutive seasons outside the top 25 only means so much, but it is a stat coaches throw around on the recruiting trail.

Speaking of recruiting, the next two weekends should be fairly quiet, with Dec. 11 setting up to be the next weekend that a surge of prospects come to campus. Even that though will primarily be those who have already committed. I don’t expect any big 2023 recruiting events until January.

Let’s get into this week’s recruiting questions below, beginning with the transfer portal.

Do you have an idea what positions Penn State would like to address in the transfer portal more so than with another players in the 2022 class based upon expected losses to graduation, and experienced depth? – GregInPitt

I think there are a few positions that Penn State will certainly look closely at in regards to the portal. Quarterback will be one of them. I think that’s very important considering the youth at the position. Right now, it’s hard for me to see Sean Clifford coming back. Christian Veilleux put in an encouraging performance last Saturday, but more experience in that room is important to the staff going into 2022.

Many have asked about offensive tackle, but I would just label the entire offensive line as a spot to watch. Everyone wants the best offensive tackles. It’s a very difficult position to recruit, and those who do excel specifically at tackle rarely enter the portal. A few will, and those guys will be coveted by all the top schools. Adding an interior player is probably more likely based on what we’ve seen in previous years, but a bonafide tackle would be nice.

I would also lean towards the defensive line being another spot that Penn State heavily considers, specifically defensive end. I think Jesse Luketa and Arnold Ebiketie will both enter the NFL Draft. But also, if they have a real shot with a quality defensive tackle, they’ll add at that position, too.

The most important thing in regards to the portal though is that it still comes down to who all enters and when. That’s out of Penn State’s control, and will go a long way in determining how much success they can have.

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Any update on Jaishawn Barnham? – shakeNBlake1515

Jaishawn Barham went to Oklahoma last weekend for his fourth official visit. Penn State, Maryland and South Carolina are the other three schools he’s seen so far.

If you’re looking for something in-depth, you’re not going to get that on Barham. Not today or next week or whenever. He’s one of the quietest recruits in the 2022 cycle.

He hasn’t personally opened up about the OU visit to anyone, but our colleagues in Norman feel as if the Sooners are going to be a serious player now moving forward. His St. Frances teammate, Derrick Moore, is committed to Oklahoma, while Barham also has a good relationship with quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Jalil Farooq, all of whom are from the DMV.

It’s currently unclear if he actually has an offer from Oklahoma. That’s one thing that’s still up in the air, although Riley and his staff aren’t hosting him this late in the cycle if they’re not seriously interested. I would assume he does by now, but that hasn’t been 100 percent confirmed.

We can talk about Penn State feeling good, Maryland feeling good, etc., but the truth here is that no one has a great feel for where Barham is leaning. All signs point to this recruitment lasting until Dec. 15. One thing sources told me last week is that a fifth and final official visit is more likely than not at this stage, so we’ll have to keep an eye out for that, too.

Do you expect there to be momentum for Penn State leading into the 2023 class with the success of the current group and James Franklin’s extension? – WTNUKE

It depends on what you mean by momentum. If you’re thinking a handful of commitments before the end of the year, I’m not sure I’d go that far. I have a lot of 2023 players hinting to me right now that they’re simply worn out from the process.

After no visits for over a year, a lot players crammed in a ton of trips the past five months. When you add in the fact that most schools, including Penn State, are going to focus on the portal and high school seniors these next few weeks, I just don’t see many 2023 guys committing in December.

Right now, Penn State doesn’t have any junior days planned until January. A few 2023 players will probably stop by campus before the dead period begins Dec. 13, but I’m not expecting many visits.

With that said, January is going to be a very heavy month for 2023 visitors starting Jan. 14. That’s when I see momentum really picking up again in this class. But there are definitely a few guys who wanted to see Franklin lock-in to Penn State before making a move. That’ll definitely help with a few guys. Rodney Gallagher definitely feels like one of those players, as well as a few others.

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Does Jven Williams have the measurements to be strictly an OT at Penn State or is he in that Effner role as a swing player? – Poncho570

Jven Williams is right around 6-foot-4, 290 pounds currently. That’s right in the sweet spot of being a swing guy, in my opinion. I know he’s listed as a tackle on most of these sites, but I feel like guard is definitely a possibility at the next level.

Now, I will add that Williams is someone I need to see in person still. I’m hoping he and his Wyomissing teammates can get a win Saturday against Scranton Prep so I can possibly see him play the following weekend.

I’m big on seeing players up-close before I go all-in projecting them to play one position or the other. Highlight films only show us so much.

I list Williams as a guard on our 2023 offensive line hot board, but a lot of that will depend on how he grows over the next year. I think Penn State loves his core strength, which is evident in his shot put and discuss numbers. They need guys who can get a push inside more than at tackle, so I’ll lean that way for now.