Subscribe
Follow Us
Penn State football is by no means done with the 2024 season. The Nittany Lions are preparing for the College Football Playoff as the No. 6 seed. Penn State faces SMU in the quarterfinals after losing the Big Ten championship game.
Despite the CFP looming, Penn State coaches are also trying to lock down recruits and players from the transfer portal. The portal is officially open, and Penn State must keep pace with every other program in the country for players.
Here are three top targets for the Nittany Lions as the 2025 college football recruiting process continues.
Eric Singleton Jr., wide receiver from Georgia Tech
The Nittany Lions got some incredible news on Monday when offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki announced he's returning to the team in 2025. Kotelnicki had been a candidate for the head-coaching job at West Virginia but decided to stay in State College.
That means the team will be able to keep its offensive mind on the sidelines, which is good news. The bad news for the Nittany Lions is that Penn State is losing their most experienced wide receiver this offseason in Julian Fleming.
Fleming joined Penn State after transferring from Ohio State. He was a former Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year in high school. This season, Fleming has posted 14 receptions for 176 yards and a touchdown. His production wasn't particularly impressive, but he's a big body that opens up the Penn State offense.
A solid player who can step in for Fleming right away is Eric Singleton Jr., a wideout from Georgia Tech. Singleton is in the portal with two years of eligibility remaining.
At Georgia Tech, the wideout has been great. He's led the Yellow Jackets in receiving yards the last two seasons. In 2024, Singleton has 754 receiving yards with 56 receptions and three touchdowns. At 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, Singleton can be used both down the field and also in the short passing game for Drew Allar, if he decides to return to State College.
David Blay, DT from Louisiana Tech
Defensive tackle David Blay was Penn State's first offer in the transfer portal, per On3. The defensive stud is actually from Pennsylvania, and he's clearly a top target.
It's easy to see why as Blay continually buzzes around the football like a bee. This season, the defensive tackle posted 10.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. He finished the 2024 season as a First Team All-Conference USA selection.
Blay is a consistent producer on defense. He started all of Louisiana Tech's games this season and was third in the conference in tackles for loss and sacks. He also led his team in those categories.
The defensive tackle already has offers from multiple Power 4 teams, including Oklahoma and Florida State.
Keyvone Lee, RB from Mississippi State
The third and final target for Penn State is actually a player who has already suited up for the team. Running back Keyvone Lee is in the portal after playing the 2023-2024 seasons with Mississippi State.
Lee played for Penn State football for three years, so he already knows the lay of the land. He rushed for more than 1,000 yards for the Nittany Lions, from 2020-22. He's also got six rushing touchdowns in his Penn State career.
Lee didn't find his footing at Mississippi State, posting just 215 rushing yards in two seasons. While Lee likely won't be the school's leading rusher, he can help shore up the 2025 Penn State rushing offense.
The Nittany Lions are going to be losing some of their rushers this offseason. Penn State has a two-headed monster in its backfield with Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen. While both players are eligible to return to the squad in 2025, it is unlikely that they both will come back.
Lee can help shore up some of the gap that's about to open in the running back room. It certainly helps that he is very familiar with James Franklin and these other coaches.
Penn State has its foot on the gas for transfers this offseason.
“We’re moving, and I’m pushing my staff to be very aggressive,” Penn State coach Franklin said.
“The challenge that I don’t think a lot of people think about is, typically when your season ends and you’re in that time getting ready for a bowl game, you have time to sit down with all of your players and find out what’s going on, who’s coming back, who’s considering going into the transfer portal, who is going into the transfer portal.
“And a lot of those things impact your decision-making on who you’re going to try to go out and get to replace those guys with.”
Penn State and SMU play in the CFP on December 21.
