Nittany Lions land former 5-star wideout as grad transfer

George Campbell has made the call.

Having visited Penn State this week, the Florida State grad transfer and former Rivals.com 5-star receiver has chosen to play his final season of eligibility with the Nittany Lions.

He made the announcement via Instagram post:

"It’s no secret that the last four years have been full of highs and lows for me, but I’ve always been told that “tough times don’t last, tough people do”. While I will forever be grateful to Florida State for the opportunity to be a Seminole, I am excited to take the next step in my journey. To my Nole brothers, it’s not goodbye it’s see you later. I love y’all boys and wish you the best. For those who have supported me every step of the way, I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart. With that being said my journey is nowhere near over yet and I am excited to announce that I will be writing the next chapter of my life at THE Penn State University. I am thrilled to be a part of the Nittany Lion family and am thankful to the coaching staff and players for accepting me with open arms! “Black Shoes Basic Blues, No Names All Game”.🦁 #WeAre"

In four seasons at Florida State, Campbell began by being named the Newcomer of the Year for the Seminole special teams unit, then suffered injuries in both the 2016 and 2017 seasons that would cut short his performances. He missed the entirety of the 2016 season with the injury and took a redshirt, then followed by playing in just four games in 2017 before missing the rest of the year due to injury.

Returning optimistically for the 2018 campaign, Campbell played in seven games and started one, but made just four receptions for 36 yards on the season.

Campbell is eligible to play immediately for the Nittany Lions.

Campbell's commitment comes on the heels of an exodus of sorts from Penn State's receivers room since the end of the 2018 season.

Along with the graduation of DeAndre Thompkins, the Nittany Lions also saw Juwan Johnson, Brandon Polk, and Cam Sullivan-Brown enter the transfer portal, while position coach David Corley Jr. was replaced by Gerad Parker.

Still, head coach James Franklin indicated he has high expectations for the group that remains coming off what was undeniably a disappointing season for the wideouts in 2018.

"I think that position is a really good example of kind of what we're working through right now is you've got really talented guys," said Franklin at his Signing Day press conference. Highlighting K.J. Hamler, Jahan Dotson, Justin Shorter, Daniel George, and Mac Hippenhammer, Franklin also pointed to a pair of walk-ons with big potential. "And the two freshmen coming in as well as some of the walk-ons, being able to earn some opportunities. I think (Isaac) Lutz is an interesting guy. I think (Dan) Chisena is an interesting guy.

"I think you also know, you guys have heard me talk about the further away from the ball you are away the easier it is to get on the field earlier. A bunch of those young guys will have a tremendous opportunity to step up and make some significant moves."