The spring practices have finally come to a close, and now comes a major challenge for teams: navigating the transfer portal. The 10-day period that started on 16th April will have the potential to make or break any team. Just ask California head coach Justin Wilcox, who is seeing continuous attrition from his running back room, with 4 players already taking off. In that regard, Penn State Nittany Lions would be no stranger to the effects of the portal, and it seems it would be more detrimental than expected.

Penn State has roped in a 14th-ranked recruitment class with 27 freshmen additions and 6 transfer additions. The class is undoubtedly less star-studded than the Nittany Lions’ previous classes, as it doesn’t have a single player with a five-star rating. In terms of transfers, the receiver additions, Devonte Ross and Kyron Hudson, look decent. But still, the class lacks firepower. So, what if anyone tells you that this could get even worse?

Greg McElroy, the ESPN analyst and former Alabama quarterback, presented a grim scenario with respect to portal attrition. “Penn State is probably going to be in a situation here in the spring portal window in which more guys are leaving than they have guys coming in.” The analyst clearly is on to something here.

This year, Penn State lost some of its most important veterans to the NFL draft class. This included a total of nine players who either lost eligibility or moved to register their name in the 2025 NFL draft. The most important of them was the defensive end Abdul Carter, who is widely touted to be one of the top five picks in the first round. Then there were players like Tyler Warren, who was one of the best players for James Franklin. The tight end exceeded all expectations and amassed a total of 1,233 receiving yards, earning the Mackey Award. This leaves a hole in the receiver room, too.

McElroy expanded on the receiver room problems that Penn State felt last season and how Penn State hasn’t fully addressed all of them. McElroy acknowledged that the addition of two transfer wide receivers in Devonte Ross and Kyron Hudson will be pivotal but stressed that Penn State still would need some additions.

“Those two guys they signed in the off-season, a lot of people have been praising what those two can potentially do. I think those guys have a chance to significantly upgrade the wide receiver position core at Penn State from this past season. But if there’s a guy that is available, I would not be surprised if Penn State goes for a player, I think.” The wide receiver room truly was a problem for Penn State.

The entire wide receiver room only combined for 1,551 yards on 102 receptions. This is the stat that other ‘power’ teams’ players, like Alabama or Ohio State, produce individually. Harrison Wallace produced 720 yards last season, which was followed by Omari Evans with just 425 yards. Joel Klatt even termed the room “sloppy and slow” on his X post. Moreover, who could forget the Orange Bowl debacle, where the receivers finished with 0 catches in the second half? Not one receiver at Penn State failed to reach the 1,000+ mark despite the team finishing at 13-3 overall. Tyler Warren’s heroics, on the other hand, were starkly opposite. In that sense, now, more additions become necessary. But before that, James Franklin will need to address the attrition in the portal.

Triple trouble for James Franklin

James Franklin tried and tried last year to reduce his attrition rate, but some of the players still jumped on the portal. Receiver KeAndre Lambert jumped onto the portal and landed in Auburn; likewise, Dante Cephas went to Kansas State, depleting the experience room significantly. Now, this year, many players have already done the same and are seeking new teams.

The first player to opt for the portal route was the OT JB Nelson, who has since been removed from Penn State’s roster. James Franklin even addressed the attrition issue head-on. “It’s really kind of a ‘no surprises’ discussion. And what I mean by that, if the players have any issues or concerns, we want them to come in and talk to us.” Despite the appeal, other players have continued to seek new teams.

Next came the decision of the Penn State CB Jon Mitchell to transfer list. Then the linebacker Ta’Mere Robinson did the same, and later Beckham Dee jumped ship. All three players departing may not look like the ‘starters’ who would bring concern for James Franklin. But it does signify one thing: Portal is here to stay, and James Franklin, beware!!!