Penn State adds bulk in the trenches with transfers from 4 schools

6 days ago 1

Penn State added some bulk Tuesday when three linemen from three schools committed to the Nittany Lions, according to reports.

Oklahoma State defensive tackle Armstrong Nnodim, Colorado defensive end Alexander McPherson and Iowa State offensive lineman Vaea Ikakoula are transferring to Penn State.

Their commitments followed one Monday night by UCLA defensive tackle Keanu Williams.

The addition of Nnodim, McPherson and Williams are especially important because the Lions had holes to fill on the defensive line.

Besides those four, Iowa State wide receiver Zay Robinson announced Monday night that he’s transferring to Penn State. Robinson, a 5-11, 185-pound freshman from Des Moines, Iowa, played in three games in 2025 and had one catch. He has four years of eligibility left.

Robinson joins three other wide receivers who are transferring from Iowa State to Penn State and reuniting with Lions coach Matt Campbell: Karon Brookins, Brett Eskildsen and Chase Sowell.

Williams, the first Penn State transfer from a school other than Iowa State, has the most experience of the four linemen who committed most recently.

The 6-5, 320-pound redshirt junior from Clovis, California, played in every game for UCLA, made 11 starts and had 39 tackles, including 17 solo stops. Injuries hampered him in 2024 after he started 10 games in 2023 after transferring from Oregon.

The 6-2, 290-pound Nnodim, a redshirt freshman from Mesquite, Texas, played in 12 games at Oklahoma State in 2025 and had 11 tackles, two in the backfield, one sack and five quarterback hurries.

They’ll help fill the void left by the absence of seniors Zane Durant and Alonzo Ford Jr. and redshirt freshman Xavier Gilliam, who’s in the transfer portal.

The 6-6, 240-pound McPherson, a redshirt freshman from Stuart, Florida, played in 10 games for Colorado and had 16 tackles, six quarterback hurries and one blocked punt.

The 6-3, 355-pound Ikakoula, a freshman from Laie, Hawaii, played in four games with two starts at Iowa State and has four years of eligibility remaining.

The five latest additions gave Penn State 23 incoming transfers, including 20 from Iowa State.

Two defensive ends are leaving Penn State after entering the portal.

Mylachi Williams, a 6-3, 252-pound redshirt freshman from Philadelphia, had one tackle and one quarterback hurry in four games in 2025. He’s leaving, along with 6-3, 224-pound freshman Cortez Harris, who played in one game.

In addition, former Penn State offensive linemen T.J. Shanahan and Eagan Boyer have committed to Florida, where former Lions assistant Phil Trautwein is now the offensive line coach.

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