With the departures of Parker Washington (2023 NFL Draft) and Mitchell Tinsley (graduation), Penn State is looking to add some veteran wide receivers to next year’s roster, and is looking to offer players in the transfer portal.
With the transfer portal adding names every day, head coach James Franklin and offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich have plenty of options to choose from.
On Thursday, Yurcich offered a player who was one of the top offensive players in the Sun Belt this past season.
Troy WR Tez Johnson has entered the transfer portal, he announced
PFF's highest graded G5 Wide Receiver this season👀 pic.twitter.com/GHX8BRwJAw
— PFF College (@PFF_College) December 21, 2022
Two days after entering the transfer portal, Tez Johnson announced that he’s received an offer from Penn State. Penn State is the first program to offer Johnson since he entered the portal.
Last season, Johnon caught 56 passes for 863 yards and four touchdowns. In his three-year career at Troy State, Johnson (5-foot-10, 160 pounds) had 141 receptions for 1,809 yards and 8 touchdowns.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Johnson will have two years of eligibility left, which makes him an attractive target for teams.
One interesting personal note concerning Johnson is that he’s the adopted younger brother of current Oregon and former Auburn quarterback Bo Nix.
Penn State has been linked to other receivers in the portal, such as Kent State transfer Dante Cephas. Without Washington and Tinsley, KeAndre Lambert-Smith is the top returning receiver amongst players on the current roster. Lambert-Smith has shown flashes (five catches, 83 yards and a touchdown in the team’s regular season finale against Michigan State at Beaver Stadium).
But Lambert-Smith only totaled 21 catches for 265 yards and three scores this past season, so the polish isn’t there yet.
The deadline for players to enter the transfer portal is Jan. 18.
