One day after Penn State starting quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer planned to enter the transfer portal, his backup followed.
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jaxon Smolik announced on social media Friday that he has entered the portal.
Smolik had an up and down career at Penn State. He redshirted his freshman year in 2023 and missed all of 2024 with an injury.
A former three-star prospect at 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, Smolik battled Grunkemeyer for the backup quarterback job to see who would be second in command to Drew Allar.
Grunkemeyer won the job out of camp and relegated Smolik to third string, but the coaching staff said the competition would be ongoing into the season. Grunkemeyer never gave it up.
When Allar went down with a season-ending ankle injury against Northwestern, Grunkemyer had his number called for the remainder of the season.
The Van Meter, Iowa, native played sparingly against Iowa in Terry Smith’s first game as interim head coach.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Andy Kotelnicki elected to deploy a two-quarterback system with Grunkemeyer as the starter, but Smolik playing in packages.
Smolik rushed for three yards on four carries before leaving the game with an injury. He did not play the remainder of the season.
Smolik has three years of eligibility remaining.
Former Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht is reportedly visiting Penn State. It would be surprising, at this point, if Becht doesn’t follow head coach Matt Campbell and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser from Iowa State.
The transfer portal opened Friday and remains open for a single 15-day window until January 16.
