UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- This hasn't necessarily been a great offseason for Penn State with regards to the transfer portal, at least according to the national rankings.
The Nittany Lions did, however, add a player Tuesday who could be an important part of the program in the coming years.
Redshirt freshman cornerback Audavion Collins committed to Penn State after spending one season at Mississippi State. A former 3-star high school prospect, Collins (6 feet, 165 pounds) didn't appear in any games for Mississippi State last season. He will have four years of eligibility with Penn State.
The Lions thought they had found an answer to any cornerback concerns when they brought in the highly touted Storm Duck from North Carolina. But Duck decided to re-enter the transfer portal after spring ball and committed to Louisville.
Collins is not expected to come in and compete for a lot of playing time right away, certainly not with All-American Kalen King and Johnny Dixon established at cornerback. But Collins could be a factor down the road.
Collins is from Newton High School in Covington, Ga., and was rated the No. 63 cornerback in the country for the class of 2022. He chose Mississippi State over the likes of Tennessee, Michigan State, Indiana, Boston College and UCF.
WHAT ARE THE ODDS?
In what can only be described as great irony, Penn State added a transfer from Mississippi State on the same day it lost a former "key" player to that same school.
Running back Keyvone Lee has transferred to Mississippi State and reportedly has enrolled in classes.
Lee was Penn State's leading rusher during both the 2020 and '21 seasons, but then got lost in the shuffle in 2022 behind freshmen Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen.
Lee rushed for 438 yards and four TDs in 2020, then 530 yards and two TDs in 2021. But he had only 94 yards on 25 carries in 2022 and missed time with an injury.
Lee still has two years of eligibility remaining.
TRANSFER PORTAL OVERVIEW
Penn State has done a very good job in recent years of attracting key players from the transfer portal, namely Arnold Ebiketie and Chop Robinson, among others.
When it comes to the portal, it's really all about quality, not quantity. Hitting one or two home runs can make up for a whole lot of singles.
With that in mind, Penn State's overall spot in the current transfer portal rankings is underwhelming. The Lions are No. 51 in the rankings compiled by 247Sports, with a total of six commitments, although the list hasn't been updated yet with the Collins commitment.
For comparison, Alabama is No. 52. So, take all of this with a grain of salt.
Of course, Penn State did land the biggest fish it needed from the portal -- wide receiver Dante Cephas from Kent State -- as that helped fill a major void. Cephas is now on campus and will be getting to know his new teammates and QB Drew Allar in the coming weeks and months.
It was believed that adding Storm Duck would be huge, as well, but he didn't even last four months before bolting. Softening that blow is that the Lions already have two solid corners in King and Dixon.
"We're in a good place right now," James Franklin said last month about the current roster. "But I think we need some more depth and more competition at D-Tackle. I think we need some more depth and competition at wide receiver. ... I want there to be legitimate competition at every position. And then besides that, we will not turn down a great player at any position."
Here's a look at the players Penn State has added from the transfer portal:
• DL Alonzo Ford (6-3, 275) from Old Dominion, who fills one of the areas of need Franklin discussed
• RB Trey Potts (5-11, 200) from Minnesota, who provides some depth behind Singleton and Allen
• WR Malik McClain (6-4, 201) from Florida State, who very well could be a major addition when all is said and done
• WR Dante Cephas (6-1, 175) from Kent State, a potential No. 1 wideout
• CB Audavion Collins (6-0, 165) from Mississippi State
• P Riley Thompson from Florida Atlantic, who could step right into a starting role
• K Alex Felkins from Columbia
The second transfer portal window is now closed, meaning no more players can enter at this stage. But there are still hundreds of players currently in the portal who can still commit, and Penn State is in on numerous guys at this stage. It's likely the Lions will add at least one or two more transfers in the coming weeks.
WHITEOUT GAME
It's not exactly ideal for everyone, but the whiteout game this year will be against Iowa on Sept. 23 at Beaver Stadium. The game will kick off at 8 p.m. and air on CBS.
Many fans may have been hoping for the Michigan game on Nov. 11 to be the whiteout. But that never seemed like a realistic possibility given that it's so late in the year.
So, it'll be Iowa, which has always been a thorn in Penn State's side, even if not all the games are a thing of beauty.
GAME THEMES
Penn State also announced game themes for every home contest this fall.
• Sept. 2 vs. West Virginia: Helmet Stripe
• Sept. 9 vs. Delaware: THON, Spirit Day
• Sept. 23 vs. Iowa: Whiteout
• Oct. 14 vs. UMass: Homecoming, Generations of Greatness
• Oct. 28 vs. Indiana: Military Appreciation Day
• Nov. 11 vs. Michigan: Stripeout
• Nov. 18 vs. Rutgers: Senior Day; All-U Day
