Portal: + or - ?

[The Spin Meister]

Has the portal been an overall good thing for Penn State or a negative?

Chop was a portal transfer from Maryland and became a first td pick. Ekibetti(sp?) from Temple was a big improvement for us.

Have others paid off as well? Have any left and become stars? Levis is certainly one.

What’s they overall +-?

 

[lazydave841]

I would say a positive. We've brought in starters that became draft picks and primarily lost players who were buried on the depth chart. Other than Levis, the only other drafted player we have lost is Zech McPherson (again, he was #5 in the rotation when he left and We've been strong at Corner). Unless I'm forgetting someone...

 

[voltz99]

Shorter and kuntz were drafted.

 

[lazydave841]

Shorter and kuntz were drafted.

Yessir. Shorter seems to be a player whose lack of production here has hurt us with WR recruits since his departure. He did get drafted, but I can find no stats for last year (guessing he didn't play). Year 2 will be interesting to see if he can get on the field with Buffalo's WR departures.

Kuntz is the good type of portal departure: buried on a quality depth chart, left for playing time, took advantage and then got drafted. He shows off how well we evaluate TEs.

Another player neither of us mentioned was Juwan Johnson, although he was a grad transfer right around the beginning of the portal stuff. He haunts our WR recruiting a little bit perhaps, but he's now an NFL TE who is carving out a decent career. 15 TDs the last 3 seasons. He was a definite loss when he left, and probably hurt us the most of any player we've mentioned (lost production).

 

[NJPSU]

Has the portal been an overall good thing for Penn State or a negative?

Chop was a portal transfer from Maryland and became a first td pick. Ekibetti(sp?) from Temple was a big improvement for us.

Have others paid off as well? Have any left and become stars? Levis is certainly one.

What’s they overall +-?

Definitely a good thing. Add Johnny Dixon, Hunter Nourzad, Mitchell Tinesly, that DT (from SC?) whose name escapes me were effective starters for us. AJ Harris looks like a future star. Julian Fleming cancels out the KLs loss.

 

[87 Penn St8]

Definitely a good thing. Add Johnny Dixon, Hunter Nourzad, Mitchell Tinesly, that DT (from SC?) whose name escapes me were effective starters for us. AJ Harris looks like a future star. Julian Fleming cancels out the KLs loss.

Were you thinking DT Derrick Tangelo from Duke as the SC person? Dixon came from SC so that may be where that came from.

Which is part of my whole problem with this stuff...are they really from these places or just passing through?

Tangelo was a grad transfer- as was our Columbia kicker last year. I assume Fleming fits that mold too. Someone like Chop went to Maryland but did a more traditional transfer- as is Dixon. Tommy Stevens goes into this realm ahead of the Portal and Levis did same exact thing but with easier path and more choices.

Overall we have filled holes well- except WR less Tinsley. Cephas is the biggest whiff/ cautionary tale/ example of why this stuff is bogus.

Portal could continue to be a good way to get seasoned specialists- punters/kickers as that has been a very inexact science for us. OSU tabbed the UNC kicker who was already all ACC. We should be able to do the same.

We haven't gotten the big names like some of our brethren- which may partly be why we don't beat them. But overall we are well above average- probably in top 25 vs D l programs- which is congruent with our ranking.

 

[NJPSU]

Were you thinking DT Derrick Tangelo from Duke as the SC person?

Yes that’s who I was thinking of. Solid player.

 

[The Spin Meister]

Tyler Warren is another.

Everyone seems to hate the portal system as it creates a lot of inconsistencies but it’s been a big plus for us so far.

 

[roswelllion]

Has the portal been an overall good thing for Penn State or a negative?

Chop was a portal transfer from Maryland and became a first td pick. Ekibetti(sp?) from Temple was a big improvement for us.

Have others paid off as well? Have any left and become stars? Levis is certainly one.

What’s they overall +-?

I think a big plus. Looking beyond the draft and how productive playing time you should add the following guys. Also i don't think Levis ever dislodges Sean C.
J Dixon - good solid 2 year player for us. We'll see about draft today.
H Nourzad - ditto above
M Tinsley - solid receiver in 2022
Stoudt - wasn't he V Tech portal guy. Punter as a mid round draft
Wasn't there another Ivy leaguer before Nourzad who came in and started for us.

 

[NJPSU]

Tyler Warren is another.

Everyone seems to hate the portal system as it creates a lot of inconsistencies but it’s been a big plus for us so far.

Tyler Warren was signed out of high school, wasn’t he?