Penn State freshman offensive lineman no longer with Nittany Lions
Penn State freshman offensive tackle Maleek McNeil is no longer with the program, sources have confirmed to BWI. Right now it’s unclear if McNeil will enter the Transfer Portal after the season and seek a continuation of his football career elsewhere. As of Monday morning, McNeil was no longer listed on Penn State’s official online roster and an official from Penn State confirmed his absence.
McNeill was an On3 Consensus three-star recruit from Cortlandt Manor, N.Y., who played at Walter Panas High. He was not just an offensive lineman there but also a punter, and his versatility drew interest on social media.
McNeil arrived at Penn State last summer
The 6-foot-7, 336-pound recruit arrived on campus this past summer with hopes of transforming his body into that of a Big Ten offensive tackle.
“Maleek was a tremendous addition to our football team this past season,” Walter Pantas coach Bill Castro said when McNeil signed with the Lions. “He was a great player for us in all three phases of the game. He dominated on both the offensive and defensive line and was also an X-factor on special teams as our punter as well as producing four blocked kicks.
“Maleek was an awesome teammate, always coaching and encouraging his peers. We will miss his presence next year, but he has definitely left our program better than how he found it. We can’t wait to watch him grow at Penn State.”
Penn State offensive line coach Phil Trautwein also discussed the freshman back during his ZOOM conference call with reporters on Thursday.
“Maleek is working hard, and we continue to develop him,” Trautwein said.
Nittany Lions down to three OL from 2022 class
That will no longer be the case, however. Penn State is now down to three Class of 2022 offensive linemen on its roster. The list now includes Drew Shelton, who has started the last two games at left tackle, guard Vega Ioane, and JB Nelson, who was a junior college transfer and is capable of playing multiple positions.
Penn State returns to the field on Saturday at Rutgers. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network from Piscataway, N.J.
BWI’s Greg Pickel contributed to this story.
