King Mack started his college career by committing to Penn State as a four-star recruit out of powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. After playing in all 13 games as a true freshman in 2023, Mack appeared to be on his way to a bigger role in Penn State's defense this past season.
Well, in a move that surprised people Mack decided to enter the transfer portal following spring practice last year. Shortly after entering the transfer portal, Mack announced his intentions to transfer to Alabama.
Following a tough year in Tuscaloosa, Mack returned to the transfer portal earlier this month. After spending a short period of time in the transfer portal, Mack has announced his decision to return back to Penn State.
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Hindsight is always beneficial, but transferring out of Penn State is a decision Mack likely never should have made. He would have been in the two deep at safety for Penn State to start the 2024 season, and once KJ Winston suffered his season ending injury in week 2 Mack would have risen to a prominent role.
Mack struggled with the Crimson Tide this past season. He recorded just 14 tackles while struggling in coverage. That said, a lot of that can likely be chalked up to what proved to be a poor defensive scheme for Alabama and a poor fit for Mack. Look no further than the jump Jalen Kimber made from 2023 to 2024 for a player where poor defensive scheme/fit can make them look like a lesser player than they are.
There is still a bright future ahead for Mack. Due to the Penn State staff already having the relationship they do with Mack, as well as having all of his testing numbers, this is not a normal transfer portal addition.
Mack is a strong addition to a Penn State safety room that is set to lose Jaylen Reed to the NFL Draft. Adding Mack, who schematically will fit much better in Tom Allen's defense than what was run at Alabama this past season, adds a much needed depth piece to the safety room.
When spring ball begins, Mack should be able to get plenty of reps at safety as Zakee Wheatley will get the veteran workload treatment. Mack will be in a position to compete with Dejuan Lane, Vaboue Toure, and Antoine Belgrave-Shorter for playing time at safety alongside Wheatley. The true junior to be will have two years of eligibility remaining.
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