Penn State TE Joey Schlaffer no longer with Nittany Lions

Penn State is expected to see plenty of outgoing players when the transfer portal opens in January. On Wednesday, Blue White Illustrated learned of one of those players expected to play elsewhere next season in tight end Joey Schlaffer, who’s been officially removed from the roster.

A redshirt sophomore, Schlaffer played at Exeter Township in Reading, Pa. and was part of Penn State’s 2023 recruiting class. He’s also the half-brother of former Nittany Lion offensive lineman Michal Menet.

Listed at 6-foot-5, 250 pounds, Schlaffer redshirted his first year on campus and played in four games in 2024, totaling just 14 snaps. He then played in all three of Penn State’s nonconference games this fall, scoring his first collegiate touchdown on his only career reception against Villanova in September.

“It was really cool to see Joey Schlaffer get his first touchdown catch,” said former head coach James Franklin following the Villanova game. He went on to add, “Really happy for him. We talked about everybody’s journey being different, and I was very, very happy for Joey and his family. That opportunity that he got, he maximized it.”

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Position coach Ty Howle built one of the deepest tight end rooms in the country over the past years, as all six of Penn State’s remaining tight ends were considered either four or five-star prospects coming out of high school. Schlaffer was also considered a four-star prospect. In fact, On3 ranked him No. 159 in the nation, ninth overall at his position and fourth overall in Pennsylvania.

Back in the spring, BWI’s Sean Fitz highlighted Schlaffer as a player entering a “vital stretch” in his career.

“It’s Schlaffer’s third spring, so now or never may be a bit harsh, but that’s the nature of the room,” Fitz wrote. “Jerry Cross was just one class ahead of Schlaffer and in the same position a year ago. He’s now at Memphis. Schlaffer’s build has taken him from about 215 pounds to a listed 240. He’s still long and rangy and runs as well as anyone in the room, but he’s been passed by [Luke] Reynolds and Andrew Olesh is hoping to get onto the field right away. Penn State will be fine at tight end, regardless, but this seems like a vital stretch for Schlaffer.”

The 2025-26 transfer portal will last 15 days, from Jan. 2 to Jan. 16. The NCAA used to allow players at a school that fired its coach to enter the portal immediately for a 30-day window. Now, players must wait for five days until after the next coach is hired to declare their intentions publicly, unless, of course, the hire comes after the start of the Jan. 2 window.