With only bowl games remaining, the 2022 college football season is almost over. Because of that, schools are already planning for the 2023 season. With the help of the transfer portal, which opened on December 5th, programs across the country could find their new star players very soon.

One team that could make great use of the transfer portal is Penn State. After starting the season unranked, the Nittany Lions finished 10-2, only losing to Ohio State and Michigan, both of whom are in the College Football Playoff. Currently at No. 11, Penn State will wrap up its comeback season by facing No. 8 Utah in the Rose Bowl on January 2nd.

Following their strong 2022 campaign, the Nittany Lions are likely aiming for even better things for next season. With some players leaving for the NFL Draft, adding replacements from the transfer portal might be the best solution for head coach James Franklin and company.

With that being said, here are three players Penn State football must target in the transfer portal ahead of the 2023 season.

3. Dante Cephas – Kent State, WR

One arena the Nittany Lions badly need to address is the receiving corps.

Mitchell Tinsley is graduating, likely taking his talents to the NFL. In 2022, he had 45 receptions for 528 yards and four touchdowns. Prior to the season, he was named to the Biletnikoff Award and Reese's Senior Bowl watch lists, as well as multiple All-American lists.

Parker Washington is also leaving the program as he declared for the NFL Draft. He even opted out of the Rose Bowl. The wideout finished the 2022 regular season as the team’s leading receiver with 46 catches for 611 yards and two touchdowns despite missing the final two games of the year.

Without Tinsley and Washington, the Nittany Lions should go after some of the best wide receivers available in the portal. One of them is Kent State's Dante Cephas, to whom Penn State has reportedly already offered a scholarship.

Cephas had 48 catches for 744 yards and three touchdowns for the Golden Flashes in 2022. He could have an immediate impact as a starter and help the team's passing offense improve on its No. 48 ranking in 2022.

2. Shedeur Sanders – Jackson State, QB

Another department that the Nittany Lions need to keep an eye on is quarterback. Sean Clifford has been a starter for the past four seasons at Penn State, but more importantly a valued leader in the locker room. In 2022, he completed 63.6% of his passes for 2,543 yards and 22 touchdowns against seven picks. He also rushed for 177 yards and five scores.

At age 24, Clifford is likely at the end of his collegiate journey. While he can technically return to Penn State football in 2023, the team should start thinking about the future. An interesting option is Jackson State's Shedeur Sanders.

Son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, the quarterback completed 70.6% of his passes for 3,732 yards with 40 touchdowns and six interceptions this past season. He was also named SWAC Offensive Player of the Year. With him as a starter, the Tigers went 23-3 and won back-to-back SWAC championships. He entered the transfer portal after his father accepted the job at Colorado, and the elder Sanders quickly suggested his son would be following him to Boulder.

Sanders is still very young and could develop as a legit FBS quarterback. Whether it is to redshirt or take over in 2023, Penn State should seriously consider recruiting him, hoping Shedeur Sanders is lured away from Colorado by the Nittany Lions' ability to compete on the national stage.

1. Darian “Duce” Chestnut – Syracuse, CB

The Nittany Lions will suffer a major loss for the 2023 season. Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. has declared for the NFL Draft and is even projected to be a first-round pick. He finished his final collegiate year with 27 total tackles, a forced fumble and a career-high eight pass deflections.

The problem is that Penn State's secondary will be seriously affected by his departure. With an NFL-caliber player leaving the program, the Nittany Lions could have a tough time shoring up the defensive backfield.

That means they should most definitely go after a cornerback in the transfer portal, especially one with starting-caliber potential. One possible target is Syracuse's Darian “Duce” Chestnut.

He had 83 tackles and four interceptions over two seasons at Syracuse. In 2022, Chestnut even had a pick-six for 28 yards against Wagner. Chestnut was named Third Team All-ACC as a freshman in 2021 and received an Honorable Mention All-ACC honors this past season.

When he was in the recruiting process in 2020, schools such as LSU and Ohio State were reportedly interested in Chestnut's services—evidence of just how hot a commodity he could be in transfer portal.

Chestnut would be an instant replacement for Porter in the starting lineup. Although he might not be at Porter's level yet, Chestnut is still the best option for Penn State football. He is familiar with big games as he played against three ranked teams this season, so adapting to the Big Ten should not be a problem.