Penn State officially adds transfer offensive lineman Hunter Nourzad
Penn State football has officially welcomed its second transfer portal addition of the offseason.
The Nittany Lions announced former Cornell offensive lineman Hunter Nourzad as its newest member of the roster on Monday night. The 6-foot-3, 310-pound Marietta, Ga., native was a first-team All-Ivy League selection in 2021. He was also Phil Steele’s Ivy League Offensive Lineman of the Year. While he started 20 consecutive games at right tackle for the Big Red, he’ll move inside in the Big Ten.
Nourzad is set to enter a competitive battle for a starting guard job in State College. Penn State returns Sal Wormely and Landon Tengwall at those spots. Both left spring practice as the projected starters on the right and left sides, respectively. However, Nourzad’s pending arrival was always going to shake things up entering the summer.
After completing classes at Cornell this spring, Nourzad arrived at Penn State for the start of the Maymester over the weekend. He has not yet been assigned a jersey number.
Penn State also welcomed some members of the Class of 2022 from the high school ranks over the weekend. The full class is expected to be in town by early June.
As for the transfer portal additions, Nourzad is preceded by former Western Kentucky receiver Mitchell Tinsley, who arrived for spring practice. Then, there is former Maryland defender Demeioun Robinson, who arrives next month.
Tracing Nourzad’s path to Penn State
At the conclusion of the 2021 season, Penn State lost center Mike Miranda and guard Eric Wilson to graduation and the NFL, respectively. With plans to slide Juice Scruggs to center, it meant that both starting spots guard spots would be open. While the Lions had to feel good about Tengwall and Wormley, who missed all of last season due to injury, returning. Competition is key.
As for Nourzad, he was previously committed to play for Auburn once his time with the Big Red was done. But, he backed off that pledge following a coaching change with the SEC school. That’s how Penn State entered the picture. It landed his commitment back on Feb. 7 over Auburn, Illinois, Iowa, and Virginia Tech, with the Hawkeyes and Fighting Illini ultimately being the Lions’ main competitors. That set the stage for his mid-May arrival in Happy Valley.
“It was a hard decision when it came down to the end, going between those schools,” Nourzad told BWI. “Those were my final three and they all had something to offer. But also, just the whole process, it was pretty grueling. I didn’t expect it to be so mentally taxing, especially at my age and trying to finish up school and get my degree. I think it’s a little different between high schoolers and grad students.
“But it came down to Iowa, Illinois and Penn State. I would say it was all my decision in the end. In high school, your parents are more involved. They have more insight because you’re 17 or 18. When I decided to enter the portal, I told myself that this is all on me. I listened to my parents when they had stuff to provide, but they didn’t try to sway me. So, it kind of just came down to me and at the end of the day, it felt right with Penn State. In my head, I felt that if I ended up going to a different school, I might regret not going to Penn State.”
