Another Penn State transfer portal target is off the board.
Ja’Mori Maclin, a 5-foot-11, 185-pounder who entered the portal from North Texas, where he picked up 1,004 yards and 11 touchdowns on 57 catches, has committed to Kentucky, he told Hayes Fawcett of On3Sports.
BBN let’s do it.. https://t.co/EkYbmaBcPZ
— Ja’Mori Maclin (@routerunner9) December 13, 2023
Penn State offered Maclin on the last day of November.
This isn’t the first receiver Kentucky has landed out of the portal. Former Texas A&M WR Raymond Cottrell, who Penn State contacted, announced his commitment to Kentucky over the weekend. WR is generally thought to be Penn State’s biggest position of need over this offseason.
The receivers room was generally thought to be the biggest weakness during Penn State’s 2023 regular season. Aside from KeAndre Lambert-Smith (53 catches, 673 yards, four TD), no Penn State WR had more than 246 yards. But Penn State’s had quality options at receiver throughout the James Franklin era. Players such as Chris Godwin, Jahan Dotson and KJ Hamler all became high-round NFL draft picks.
Maclin was the No. 26 receiver in the transfer portal according to 247Sports. The highest-rated transfer portal receiver available, per 247, is a guy that should be familiar to PSU fans.
Coming out of Southern Columbia High School— located in Catawissa, which is roughly an hour and a half from State College—Julian Fleming was the No. 1 receiver and No. 4 player in the country according to 247Sports, along with being the top-rated player in Pennsylvania.
As one could imagine, Penn State recruited Fleming hard.
He ended up committing to Ohio State in May 2019, picking it over Alamaba, Clemson, Georgia and, yes, Penn State, among other schools. It was reported that Fleming would be visiting Nebraska this week.
