The transfer portal is here to stay. That’s just the way it is, and it is changing college football in many ways. Coaches will always have to be aware of who is in the transfer portal, and recruiting the portal will always be of paramount concern to major programs.
James Franklin has said previously that Penn State could be interested in going out and finding another quarterback in the transfer portal at some point. The coach was asked again Wednesday night if that still could be the case.
Franklin gave a broad answer that lends insight into the thinking of how things will go at Penn State when it comes to taking guys from the portal.
“I think for us pretty much at every position we’re gonna be open to it,” Franklin said.
“I think what happens is you kind of have the first wave of the transfer portal. I think there’s gonna be probably two more waves. You’re gonna have a post spring ball transfer portal situation, as well, and then you may have even right before the season starts, a few guys.”
In that regard, Penn State — and all schools around the country — will be keenly aware of what’s going on in the portal over the next few weeks, as teams around the nation wrap up spring practice.
“We’re gonna constantly stay aware of it and monitoring it, and if it’s somebody that we think makes us better, then we’re gonna look at it hard,” Franklin said.
“For us, I think it always helps if it’s a young man that you have a pre-existing relationship with — him and his family — like you recruited him on the front end, so you know a lot about him. That just helps. But that doesn’t have to always be the case.”
Speaking about backup QBs Ta’Quan Roberson and Christian Veilleux, Franklin offered the following assessment:
“Obviously, losing some quarterbacks (to the transfer portal), it’s put Ta’Quan and Veilleux in a situation where they’re getting a bunch of reps and got a lot of responsibilities and a lot on their plate. So that’s been something, that work, not only this spring but also going into the summer, is gonna be really important, so not only do we feel good about our starter, but also clearly the backup.”
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