Which of the nation's college football transfers will make the biggest impact on their new programs during the 2021 season?
Ahead of the 2021 season, Penn State football did not lack for transfer activity.
Along with the growing popularity of the NCAA transfer portal and, moving forward, the advent of the one-time transfer rule creating immediate eligibility for transfers, in addition to the immediate eligibility of graduate transfers, the Nittany Lions both welcomed and said sayonara to multiple players.
In total, Penn State head coach James Franklin and his staff saw six incoming transfers to the program in defensive end Arnold Ebiketie, defensive tackle Derrick Tangelo, corner Johnny Dixon, running back John Lovett, offensive lineman Eric Wilson, and corner AJ Lytton. Meanwhile, the Nittany Lions also saw the exits from the program of quarterbacks Will Levis and Micah Bowens, receiver T.J. Jones, guard C.J. Thorpe, DTs Antonio Shelton and Judge Culpepper, end Shane Simmons, and linebacker Lance Dixon.
While early spring indications from the program have Ebiketie as maybe the most impactful of Penn State's transfer additions to the Nittany Lions this offseason, the oddsmakers at Sports Betting Dime placed two transfers - one in, one out - on their newest over/unders for transfer quarterbacks, running backs, receivers and tight ends.
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According to the Tuesday report, Penn State running back John Lovett is expected to be among the top 10 producing transfer backs in the country during the 2021 season, checking in at No. 5 on their list.
OVER/UNDER TRANSFER RB's RUSHING YARDS
1. Zack Charbonnet - UCLA (from Michigan) 1,221.5
2. Stephen Carr - Indiana (from USC) 982.5
3. Eric Gray — Oklahoma (from Tennessee) 775.5
4. Keaontay Ingram - USC (from Texas) 723.5
5. John Lovett - Penn State (from Baylor) 697.5
6. Markese Stepp - Nebraska (from USC) 687.5
7. Ty Chandler - North Carolina (from Tennessee) 659.5
8. DeMarkcus Bowman - Florida (from Clemson) 515.5
9. Kevontre Bradford - Oklahoma (from LSU) 283.5
10. Keilan Robinson - Texas (from Alabama) 267.5
Setting the over/under at 697.5 yards for Lovett during the 2021 season, that level of rushing production would mark a pronounced contribution for the transfer back.
Should Lovett hit that number or go above it, he'd finish the 2021 season averaging at least 58.0 rushing yards per game during the Nittany Lions' regular season. In doing so, he would potentially eclipse Penn State's top producing running back from the 2020 season in then-true freshman Keyvone Lee, who finished with 438 yards and four touchdowns on 89 total carries in his debut season, averaging 48.67 yards per outing in the Nittany Lions' nine-game campaign.
According to Franklin this spring, the potential for Lovett to have a real impact on the Nittany Lions is there, though.
"Early on (this spring), he was really flashing some things that we were excited about. It's obvious you got a veteran guy, he's been around, he's played a lot of football," Franklin told reporters in April. "He was very respected at the place he came from. He can run, he's got the ability to make people miss. He's got that extra gear that we need a guy that we think can be a home run threat for us.
"I think between now and training camp, I think the weight room and putting a little bit more good weight on, so that he can lower his shoulder. Him and Devyn Ford, both of those guys lower his shoulder and get the ugly three, four yards when we need it. But we've been impressed with him. He's a mature guy. Our players really like him. The coaches really like him. He learns well. So we think he's gonna be right there in the hunt of this thing during training camp."
Lovett's competition for carries is expected to be stiff as the Nittany Lions quickly approach the start of preseason camp on Friday. Along with Lee, Penn State redshirt sophomore running back Noah Cain is expected to return healthy from a foot injury that derailed his 2020 season just four snaps into the year in the Nittany Lions' season-opening loss at Indiana last October. Despite his place as just one of four rotating backs as a true freshman in 2019, Cain finished second among Penn State's rushers during the season behind only Journey Brown at 44.3 yards per game while appearing in only 10 games due to another injury.
Beyond Lee and Cain, Lovett will also be vying for opportunities with Ford, who returns for his junior season after finishing second among Penn State's running backs for yardage in 2020. His 45.6 yards per game, appearing in only six of the program's contests, finished just above the fourth and final back in Penn state's rotation last season, true freshman Caziah Holmes, who will also be competing for carries during preseason camp.
On the other side of the equation, former Penn State quarterback Will Levis, now at Kentucky after an offseason transfer, has also made the list of top 10 expected transfer production at his respective position.
Coming out of a 2020 season in which he earned his first career start, briefly displacing benched signal-caller Sean Clifford for Penn State's loss to Iowa in week four, Levis appears at No. 8 on the oddsmakers' list.
OVER/UNDER TRANSFER PORTAL QB's PASSING YARDS
1. Tyler Shough - Texas Tech (from Oregon) 3,845.5
2. Grant Gunnell - Memphis (from Arizona) 3,249.5
3. Tanner Mordecai - SMU (from Oklahoma) 3,124.5
4. Jack Coan - Notre Dame (from Wisconsin) 2,845.5
5. McKenzie Milton - Florida State (from UCF) 2,455.5
6. Ryan Hilinski- Northwestern (from South Carolina) 2,109.5
7. Joe Milton - Tennessee (from Michigan) 1,845.5
8. Will Levis - Kentucky (from Penn State) 699.5
9. Ethan Garbers - UCLA (from Washington) 499.5
10. Kaidon Slater - Liberty (from Tennessee) 492.5
Last season, Levis completed 33 of 55 passing attempts for 421 yards and a touchdown.
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