The last day of the transfer portal is upon us, so let’s take a look at the 36 places who are becoming Penn State Nittany Lions.
BROCK RIKER
Per Pro Football Focus, Riker played 868 snaps for Texas State, which was the sixth most on the offense, but it’s worth noting that the five players who played more than him all played 13 games compared to Riker’s 12.
Texas State’s bowl game took place the same day the transfer portal opened, and Riker entered the transfer portal that day, eventually landing on Penn State.
Riker ended his freshman season with a pass blocking efficiency rating of 99.3, which was the highest amongst Texas State’s regulars, and had a run blocking grade of 71.5, also the highest amongst Texas State’s regulars.
Riker will have three seasons of eligibility left.
ALEXANDER MCPHERSON
McPherson, a 6-foot-6, 250-pounder, will play on the EDGE, and Nnodim (6-foot-2, 290) will play inside.
McPherson got some playing time for Coach Prime and Colorado as a true freshman, ending the year with 16 tackles, six QB hurries, a blocked punt and half a sack.
Before Colorado, McPherson— who came from Florida’s famous IMG Academy— came to Boulder as a three-star recruit.
“The plays they make on the backside, as they continue to grow and see some things – they’re just going to continue to thrive,” Colorado defensive coordinator Rob Livingston said about McPherson and fellow signee London Merritt. “You can build around those guys. They’re the right kind of people. You look in their eyes, there’s something behind their eyeballs. The game means a lot to them, and we’re lucky to have them.”
He’ll have three years of eligibility left.
ARMSTRONG NNODIM
Nnodim, who redshirted his freshman season in 2024, ended 2025 with 11 tackles, a sack and two tackles for loss.
Nnodim came to Stillwater as a three-star prospect from Texas’ Mesquite Horn High School.
Oklahoma State coach Doug Meacham described Nnodim’s presence earlier this season.
“I want him to go be a leader of a business or a corporation, but you just look at him, you’d say he’ll be a lifetime bouncer at the doorway of a bar,” Meacham said. “He’s a scary dude now. He comes in there, he’s yoked up. I wouldn’t want any piece of that guy.”
He’ll have three seasons of eligibility remaining.
NATHAN TIYCE
Tiyce comes to Penn State after a season at Mississippi State, where he appeared in eight games. The Australian punter previously spent two years at Tocal College. He has three seasons of eligibility remaining.
JAMES PEOPLES
Peoples had an expanded role for OSU during his sophomore season, increasing his workload from 49 carries in 2024 to 61 attempts.
The added opportunity translated into the best statistical season of Peoples’ college career.
He rushed for 344 yards and three touchdowns and contributed to the passing game with five receptions for 50 yards.
His versatility out of the backfield added another dimension to Ohio State’s offense, particularly in early and midseason action.
Peoples has two seasons of eligibility left.
DALLAS VAKALAHI
Vakalahi is a 6-foot-2, 318-pounder who will have two seasons of eligibility remaining.
A former three-star recruit from West Valley, Utah, Vakalahi started his college career in 2024. He had a promising true freshman season, making it to the Big 12’s All-Rookie team.
Injuries plagued Vakalahi in 2025, limiting him to nine games (bowl game included.) Vakalahi made two starts and played 220 snaps per Pro Football Focus, which was the third most among Utah’s defensive tackles.
IBN MCDANIELS
McDaniels got some time for Syracuse as a redshirt freshman this season, appearing in 109 snaps over eight games per Pro Football Focus, with 78 of them coming in the first four games.
McDaniel played in 11 of Syracuse’s 12 games, with three being solely on special teams.
He’ll have three years of eligibility remaining.
SIALE TAUPAKI
The veteran interior lineman reunites with Penn State DC D’Anton Lynn and defensive line coach Ikaika Malloe, both of which coached Taupaki during their time in LA.
Taupaki arrives in Happy Valley with one year of eligibility left, his eighth year overall, after appearing in 40 games across seven seasons at UCLA from 2019–25.
The 6-foot-4, 310-pound tackle has carved out a role as a physical, space-eating presence up front, totaling 38 tackles, three tackles for loss, and two sacks during his collegiate career.
KEITH JONES JR.
Last year as a redshirt freshman for Grambling University, Jones tallied 31 receptions for 438 yards and scored four touchdowns.
He was the Tigers’ leading receiver in a run-first offense and has a reputation of being a combat catcher with 50/50 balls and also plays with speed and aggression.
Jones grew up in New Orleans and attended Edna Karr High School before signing with Grambling, where he redshirted the 2024 season. Per Ryan Snyder of Blue-White Illustrated, Jones also had interest from Cincinatti and Stanford, as well as non-power 4 programs such as Charlotte, Louisiana Tech, North Texas, Southern Miss, Texas State and Western Kentucky.
Jones has three years of eligibility remaining.
CHRIS FILEPPO
Fileppo arrives in State College after spending his freshman season with the Mountaineers and becomes the second portal addition of the day for the Nittany Lions.
A Doylestown, Pennsylvania native, Fileppo brings intriguing size and versatility for the Nittany Lions.
VAEA IKAKOULA
The 6-foot-3, 355-pounder started two games as a true freshman on the line for Iowa State last season.
KEANU WILLIAMS
A 6-foot-5 redshirt senior, Williams is entering his sixth season of eligibility. 247Sports considers Williams a four-star transfer portal recruit.
Williams is 320 pounds and brings the frame of a tough run stuffer that Penn State has been lacking the last few seasons.
He started 11 of 12 games for UCLA in 2025, making a career-high 39 tackles. Williams recorded a tackle in every game and had two tackles in UCLA’s stunning victory over Penn State.
ROCCO BECHT
A transaction that’s felt inevitable for weeks has come to fruition: former Iowa State QB Rocco Becht is coming to Penn State.
Hayes Fawcett of On3Sports first reported that Becht was committing to PSU late Sunday afternoon, giving Penn State its starting QB for 2026.
The connection here is obvious.
Becht played at Iowa State for four seasons, and Matt Campbell was his head coach for all four.
Last month, Penn State hired Campbell as its next head coach, and almost immediately, people speculated that Becht could be coming with him.
That speculation ramped up New Year’s Day, when it was reported that Penn State QB Ethan Grunkemeyer planned to enter the transfer portal.
The portal opened at midnight Jan. 2, and a minute after, it was reported that Becht had planned to visit Penn State.
“Now that he’ll officially be in the portal, a deal at Penn State reuniting him with his former coaching staff could come together quickly,” ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported early Friday morning.
The deal ended up coming together in less than 72 hours.
Becht has one season of eligibility left.
CARSON HANSEN
The elephant in the room here is that Hansen played at Iowa State, where, up until just a few weeks ago, new Penn State boss Matt Campbell had been the head coach.
But the more important thing is that Hansen can play.
In 2024, Hansen helped Iowa State to the Big 12 championship game, rushing for 752 yards, averaging five yards per carry and scoring 13 touchdowns.
This season, Hansen remained productive, going for 952 yards and six touchdowns, again averaging more than five yards a pop.
Hansen was the type of player that defined Campbell’s success in Ames— a low-ranked recruit who turned into a key contributor.
Coming from Lakeville, Minnesota, Hansen was the 956th-ranked player in the Class of 2023.
He became one of the best RBs in the transfer portal, and Campbell is bringing him over.
Penn State fans are used to quality running backs, and Pennsylvania people in general love hard work.
Hansen checks both boxes.
“I mean, one of the toughest young men in our program,” Campbell said in November, “how he runs the football, how he runs the football late in games, how he came back into the game today to run the football. Every run I feel like he has is a major car wreck at the end, right? Like, it’s just he’s got that physical ability to fall forward every time he runs the football. And when that happens, that’s usually not just a simple tackle by the shoestrings; it’s violent. And I think he plays with that violence and that consistency all the time. That’s hard to do, especially a tailback. But we’re really proud of him.”
JEREMIAH COOPER
Cooper was a first-team All-Big 12 selection in 2023 and earned all-conference honorable mention honors in 2024, establishing himself as one of the league’s more reliable defensive backs during his time in Ames. He arrives in State College with one year of eligibility remaining.
The 2025 season was a challenging one for Cooper, as injuries limited him to just four games. In that span, he recorded nine tackles and an interception, allowed opposing quarterbacks complete 35.7% of his passes earning a 74 coverage grade through Pro Football Focus.
He flashed his playmaking ability despite the abbreviated schedule. When healthy, Cooper has proven to be a productive and instinctive defender.
Cooper has one year of eligibility remaining.
COOPER ALEXANDER
Alexander played his freshman season at Iowa State last year, catching five passes for 47 yards. Before Iowa State, he was a three-star recruit from Oklahoma’s Washington High School. Alexander will have three seasons of elgiblity left.
ALEX MANSKE
Iowa State isn’t known for getting blue-chip recruits, and Manske was one of them. The No. 2 player in Iowa from the 2025 class redshirted his freshman season, playing behind Becht. So he has all four years left.
When evaluating Manske in the summer of 2024, 247Sports’ Greg Biggins described him as a “pretty fascinating prospect.”
“We called him raw at times and he’s not the most fluid thrower but we do like the size, multi-sport athleticism and makeup,” Biggins wrote. “In addition to football, he plays baseball, basketball and runs track and has a lot of natural ability. He doesn’t play like a conventional quarterback and almost looks more comfortable throwing off-platform/outside the pocket, even on straight drops, then throwing with a typical over the top release. He’s comfortable throwing on the run and really thrives in those kind of situations when a play breaks down. He’ll need some time to fine tune some things and has never really had a true off-season because of his multi-sport commitments but he’s a gamer and it won’t shock us if he ends up a multi-year starter for the Cyclones down the road.”
GABE BURKLE
Campbell keeps bringing in former Cyclone talent to State College.
Burkle, a 6′-6,” 255 lb. tight end from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, announced on X today his commitment to the Blue & White.
This past season, Burkle tallied 26 receptions for 302 yards, averaging 11.6 yards per catch. His longest catch went for 44 yards. He also scored one touchdown.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.During his three seasons in Ames, Iowa, the rising tight end caught 54 passes for a total of 607 yards, scoring two touchdowns.
He has one year of eligibility left.
BENJAMIN BRAHMER
Brahmer entered the portal the moment it opened on Jan. 2, and his recruitment was brief. With head coach Matt Campbell and offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Taylor Mouser now in State College, the connection was obvious from the start.
On3’s Hayes Fawcett reported that Brahmer has committed to the Nittany Lions, giving Penn State a proven playmaker with one season of eligibility remaining.
A native of Pierce, Nebraska, Brahmer brings both production and consistency to the tight end room.
During the 2025 season, he emerged as Iowa State’s top receiving threat, catching 37 passes on 51 targets for 446 yards and six touchdowns.
That performance earned him second-team All-Big 12 honors and further established him as one of the league’s most reliable red-zone weapons.
MARCUS NEAL JR
In 12 games during his first full year as a starter, Neal became a dependable force on the Cyclones’ defense.
A former four-star recruit, Neal registered 77 tackles, three passes defended, two interceptions, one sack and one forced fumble. He has two years of eligibility remaining.
Neal’s play in 2025 earned him third-team All-Big 12 and made him a top 10 safety available in the transfer portal by 247Sports.
Penn State has holes to fill in the secondary with Zakee Wheatley graduating, plus King Mack and Antoine Belgrave-Shorter entering the transfer portal.
A 6-foot-1, 215-pound DB from Kansas City, Neal recorded five or more tackles in every game until the season finale against the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
WILL TOMPKINS
A native of Cedar Falls, Iowa, Tompkins was a highly regarded high school prospect. He earned three-star ratings from both 247Sports and On3, while Rivals viewed him even more favorably. Rivals graded Tompkins as a four-star recruit and ranked him No. 245 overall in the Rivals 300, making him one of the more underrated linemen in his class.
At 6-foot-6 with the frame to add strength, Tompkins fits the profile of a prototypical Big Ten offensive tackle. While he remains a projection at the college level, Penn State’s staff clearly values his upside, physical tools, and familiarity with Campbell’s program and expectations.
Because Tompkins did not see the field during his freshman year, he is expected to have four years of eligibility remaining after taking a redshirt.
That gives Penn State ample time to develop him within its offensive line system.
The addition reinforces Campbell’s emphasis on building depth and continuity up front, while continuing to leverage relationships formed during his time at Iowa State to strengthen Penn State’s roster for the future.
CARL BREZINA
Penn State needed a boost at linebacker with news that Amare Campbell was entering the portal, and Brezina provided one for PSU.
He played two seasons for Campbell at Iowa State, picking up 52 tackles, a forced fumble and two pass breakups over that time.
Brezina is eligible for two more seasons.
KUOL KUOL
With 80% of its starting offensive line departing, Penn State needed to boost its depth in the transfer portal window.
Kuol could help with that.
It’s hard to tell how good Kuol could be, since he redshirted as a freshman. But Campbell saw enough in him to recruit him out of high school and now bring him to Happy Valley.
OMARION DAVIS
Penn State needed some reinforcements in its secondary from the transfer portal, and a player who burned his redshirt with an ACC program could help with that.
Late Thursday night, Penn State landed a commitment from former Boston College safety Omarion Davis.
Davis saw some playing time for Bill O’Brien and BC as a freshman, starting two games and ending the season with 13 tackles.
A former three-star recruit from Indian Land High School in Fort Mill, South Carolina, Davis has three years of eligibility left and could provide help to a position group that could use some.
BRETT ESKILDSEN
Penn State’s receiving corps is looking pretty good for 2026.
Koby Howard and Tyseer Denmark are both coming back, and now, Eskildsen is joining them.
After catching two passes as a true freshman in 2024, Eskildsen was much more of a factor this past season. He ended the year with 526 yards and five touchdowns on 30 receptions. Had he put up those numbers with Penn State, he’d have been the team’s second-leading receiver.
Eskildsen has two years of eligibility left.
TREVOR BUHR
Buhr, from Iowa State, is a 6′-4,” 325 lb. offensive lineman from Washington, Missouri that’s bringing experience and a strong resume to State College, including All-Big 12 honorable mention.
Buhr comes to Penn State from the transfer portal as a rising redshirt junior with two years of eligibility left.
The guard’s arrival will add depth to the offensive line and he should strongly compete for a starting role.
While at Iowa State, Buhr saw action in eight games, making six starts, and helped pave the way for a Cyclone rushing attack that helped their top 2 rushers average better than 5.0 yards per carry.
Finished his college ball in Ames playing in 21 games and making 12 starts.
KOOPER EBEL
Ebel, another Iowa State Cyclone, is a 6′-4,” 235 lb. linebacker from Hartley, Iowa.
He comes to Penn State with one year of eligibility left.
As a junior this past 2025 season, Ebel tallied 77 tackles, 14 tackles for a loss, one sack, three pass deflections, and one forced fumble.
While at Iowa State (2024), the tackling machine also earned Academic All-Big 12 honors.
IKENNA EZEOGU
Ezeogu started every game at Iowa State last season at defensive end, ending the year with 25 tackles and three tackles for loss. He also played in 14 games the previous season, helping Iowa State to a Big 12 Championship Game appearance. He has one season of elgibility left.
KARON BROOKINS
Brookins is a big, athletic 6′-5″, 200 lb. wide receiver from Pennsauken, New Jersey.
He did not tally any statistics this past season as a true freshman at Iowa State, but Campbell and his staff are really high on him and his development.
Brookins was a highly touted, three-star (2025) high school prospect, and a top-30 player out of New Jersey, per 247Sports.
He has 4 years of eligibility left.
TYSHON HUFF
Huff concluded his official visit over the weekend and committed shortly afterward during meetings with head coach Matt Campbell, offensive line coach Ryan Clanton, and the rest of the Nittany Lions’ staff.
Penn State entered Huff’s transfer portal recruitment late but moved quickly once contact was established, prioritizing an in-person evaluation that helped seal the decision.
The Princeton (Cincinnati, Ohio) product entered the transfer portal in November and drew interest from several FBS programs, including Kent State, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, Wyoming, and Troy, along with multiple FCS schools.
Huff visited Buffalo, Troy, and Wyoming before arriving at Penn State, where he said the experience stood apart from the rest of his recruitment.
He’ll have two years of elgibility remaining.
ALIJAH CARNELL
Another Iowa State Cyclone is reuniting with Coach Campbell in Happy Valley.
Carnell is a 6′-6″, 290 lb. interior defensive lineman from Henderson, Nevada.
As a redshirt freshman this past season, Carnell registered six tackles, 0.5 tackles for a loss, and 0.5 sacks in 11 games played.
He was one of the Cyclones’ highest graded interior defensive linemen, although only receiving limited snaps.
Carnell has three years of college football eligibility remaining.
CHASE SOWELL
A member of the Class of 2022 out of Texas, Sowell’s college career has been marked by persistence through change.
He originally signed with Colorado and appeared in four games as a true freshman before a season-ending injury forced a redshirt year.
Following a coaching change in Boulder, Sowell entered the transfer portal and landed at East Carolina, where he spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Sowell will have one season of eligibility remaining.
CALEB BACON
Another Iowa State linebacker is heading to Penn State.
The 6′-4″, 240 lb. backer has one year of college football eligibility remaining.
Last season, Bacon registered 68 total tackles with 32 of them being solo. He also got three sacks and one forced fumble.
The Lake Mills, Iowa native was granted an extra year due to an injury that sidelined him for most of the 2024 season.
ZAY ROBINSON
Matt Campbell is bringing over a young wide receiver from Iowa State.
5-foot-11 freshman Zay Robinson has committed to Penn State. From Des Moines, Iowa, Robinson joins a loaded group of Cyclones to transfer to the Nittany Lions. He has four years of eligibility remaining.
Robinson redshirted his freshman season and only made one catch for no yards against Oklahoma State on November 29 in the final game of the year. Robinson is a former three-star recruit and was the No. 11 player in Iowa during the class of 2025.
HUNTER SOWELL
Freshman safety Hunter Sowell joins Penn State after spending his first collegiate season at Iowa State.
Sowell redshirted and has four years of eligibility remaining. His lone playing time came against Kansas on November 22, where he recorded a pass defended in the victory.
A 5-foot-10, 170-pound defensive back from Humble, Texas, Sowell was unranked out of high school by 247Sports and rejoins Campbell in Happy Valley this winter.
JAMISON PATTON
Jamison Patton is the biggest name of the three Iowa State players that officially came to Penn State from the transfer portal Monday, Jan. 5. A 6-foot-2 defensive back from Des Moines, Iowa, Patton played considerable snaps for the Cyclones.
Patton recorded 48 tackles, three passes defended, and two interceptions during his junior campaign, seeing significantly more playing time than his first two years.
A former three-star recruit and three-star transfer portal prospect, Patton adds depth in the secondary to compliment returners Dejuan Lane and Vaboue Toure. Patton has recorded 79 total tackles, 48 solo tackles, and four interceptions in his career at Iowa State.
