Penn State’s 2024 football roster was all but guaranteed to change and reshuffle this spring.
There simply weren’t enough scholarship spots — and open depth chart positions — before the 2024 season. That’s become the natural cycle of big-time college football, especially in the era of the NCAA transfer portal.
And sure enough, seven scholarship players have announced their intentions to leave coach James Franklin’s team this spring, including four this week — wide receiver Malik McClain, safety King Mack, running back London Montgomery and offensive lineman Golden Israel-Achumba . The movements were reported as this second session of the transfer portal closed.
So what do the losses mean for Penn State?
Here’s a breakdown of who’s leaving (the Lions didn’t add any transfers this spring) and how it could affect the program’s status in the expanded Big Ten and College Football Playoff:
Wide receiver: KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Malick Meiga, Malik McClain
This room needed a makeover to clean up the space.
The Lions lost their leading receiver (Lambert-Smith) and a team captain (Meiga) earlier this spring before McClain’s departure was reported on Thursday.
While Lambert-Smith was Penn State’s No. 1 target for much of 2023, he proved to be inconsistent in production and body language on the field last season before nearly disappearing toward the end. He announced his departure and commitment to Auburn a few months after the Lions signed Ohio State transfer Julian Fleming.
Despite their promise and experience, Meiga and McClain, who transferred from Florida State last year, combined for fewer than 10 catches last season. They seemed buried at the bottom of a broad group that needed serious improvement.
The Lions’ new-look look now: Fleming and junior Tre Wallace should be the first to start, with Kaden Saunders, Omari Evans and Liam Clifford showing spring promise to increase production.
Security: King Mack
Mack’s transfer portal loss could be the biggest of the spring.
The second-year safety from Florida possessed elite (four-star recruit) talent and speed, including impressive hitting and ball tracking skills, according to teammates. He was a standout in special teams coverage last fall and provided kick and punt return possibilities.
Still, it likely would have been difficult for Mack to earn significant playing time this fall. Penn State’s safety group is filled with proven, more experienced products, including expected Big Ten stars Jaylen Reed and KJ Winston and top backup Zakee Wheatley.
Sophomore DaKaari Nelson, boasting the best size in the room (6-foot-3, 220 pounds), will also be pushing for bench reps.
This positioned group should be one of the best in the country, even without Mack, who may be looking for a new destination in the Far South, closer to home.
Running Back: London Montgomery
The former Scranton Prep standout has been working from behind, so to speak, since arriving at Penn State.
Montgomery returned to play this spring after recovering from a serious knee injury — and showed some glimpses of talent in April’s Blue-White game. But how high could he be in Penn State’s running back hierarchy?
Like Mack, Montgomery looked like a fourth-string option at best in 2024 — behind starters Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen and sophomore Cam Wallace and impressive rookie Quinton Martin.
Montgomery still needs to build his body and physicality, according to Franklin’s repeated comments.
Outfield players: Davon Townsley, Golden Israel-Achumba
Davon Townsley, a defenseman, entered the transfer portal for the second time in his Penn State career. He envisioned being a reserve piece in play next season.
Israel-Achumba was even further off the game-day radar before his transfer intentions were made public. The senior’s only playing time last season came with a handful of snaps against Massachusetts. He was not scheduled to be part of the Lions’ dual depth chart this fall.
Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at fbodani@ydr.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.
This article originally appeared in the York Daily Record: Penn State football could lose King Mack, others in NCAA transfer portal
