Penn State is working hard to fill some big shoes at the cornerback position, and the transfer portal is a good place to find talent.
Outside corners Kalen King and Johnny Dixon will be off to the NFL, as will nickelback Daequan Hardy.
But CB coach Terry Smith, head coach James Franklin and company are putting in work to land talent from the transfer portal.
Penn State is the favorite to land A.J. Harris, a former five-star from the Class of 2023 who spent a season at the University of Georgia. Harris isn’t the only former five-star on Penn State’s radar. Tony Grimes, who entered the portal earlier this week after a season at Texas A&M, is currently at Penn State for an official visit, he posted to X (formerly Twitter) late Friday morning.
PSU Visit. #psu pic.twitter.com/VLCBOayHtx
— Tony Grimes (@757EliteDB) January 5, 2024
Grimes spent a season at A&M after playing two at North Carolina, where he signed to the 2020 Class after a standout career at Princess Anne High School in Virginia Beach.
Penn State targeted Grimes out of high school, and Grimes built a solid bond with Smith.
Before ultimately picking North Carolina, Grimes told 247Sports that Smith has “been my favorite coach for a long time.”
“And I love coach (James) Franklin,” Grimes told 247. “Coach Franklin has a good heart. He has a good personality, a good coach. Coach Terry Smith is family oriented. I love his family.”
Penn State has already landed one former five-star recruit in WR Julian Fleming, a in-state player from Southern Columbia who entered the transfer portal after four seasons at Ohio State. Could Harris, Grimes or both follow suit?
