Penn State and the On3 transfer portal rankings: Where did the Lions' three additions land?

The NCAA transfer portal has been mostly kind to Penn State football over the past couple of offseasons.

That trend appears set to continue in 2022.

Two new Nittany Lions made the top five at their position in the latest On3 transfer portal rankings. And, one of them found a home inside of the top-25 overall.

More praise for Penn State receiver Mitchell Tinsley

Mitchell Tinsley had an outstanding 2021 season at Western Kentucky. Now, the 6-foot-1, 203-pound receiver is looking to showcase his skills in the Big Ten.

Tinsley checked in at No. 17 overall in On3’s ranking of the top players to enter the portal this offseason. He was also listed as the No. 5 receiver.

Penn State was thrilled to pick up the Lee’s Summit, Mo., native. He can play inside and out for offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich and receivers coach Taylor Stubblefield. It should come as no surprise, then, that he was one of the standouts during spring practice.

“He’s refined in terms of how to run routes,” Penn State coach James Franklin said. “Very consistent catching the ball. He’s Steady Eddy. He’s what you’d expect from a veteran wh was in the top-10 in receiving yards in the country.

“I think he had like 1,400 yards receiving last year in an offense that threw it every single down. I think it was illegal to run the ball. But still, he had great production. That shows up.”

Next up for the pass catcher is continuing to refine his game during Penn State summer workouts.

“I think this summer will be huge,” Franklin said. “Not only from an offensive perspective, but I just think our strength and conditioning program and our speed program that he’s going to be involved with this summer.”

Robinson is in the spotlight, too

Demeioun Robinson was the third Penn State transfer portal addition of the offseason. After beginning his career at Maryland, the defensive end started his search for a new college football home about a month ago and finished it rather quickly when he picked the Lions.

The former high-level recruit is the No. 5 linebacker in the On3 transfer portal rankings. However, he will play up front for head coach James Franklin’s program. And, if he were ranked there, he’d be tied for the No. 4 spot.

Robinson will soon arrive at Penn State to begin training with the Nittany Lions.

Don’t forget about Nourzad

Not every player who enters the portal has an updated ranking. But, don’t forget about Hunter Nourzad.

The former Ivy League All-American at Cornell will join Penn State after he graduates later this month. He is expected to immediately battle for an interior job along the offensive line.

“There were probably one or two big reasons with Penn State,” Nourzad told BWI. “I love Trautwein and I think he’s a great guy. I have a lot of respect for him, although I have a lot of respect for the Iowa and Illinois staff as well. They’re all great people at both of those schools, too, from what I could tell during the process. But I think one of the big things was that I felt really comfortable around Coach Traut. 

“But also, Penn State kind of has a blueprint for what I’m trying to do with them. Last year, with Eric Wilson, they took an Ivy League guy who played inside, and from May to August, which is my same timeline, they developed him enough to start some games. So, that was one of the biggest draws for me. They’ve done what I’m trying to do.”