2025/26 Transfer Portal & Roster Changes Thread

GregInPitt said:
I was hoping Wylie would stay. He seemed to be in the action a good bit on Saturday and would be a nice backup even if he didn't win an open spot with DeLuka leaving. Maybe he knows Rojas is returning and that affected his decision.... I hope so.
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I think it's possible that we pull an ISU LB. Their leading tackler is in the portal. Also, the next 2 LBs are in the portal including their #3 tackler. I think there is a decent chance that we could see some help at the position.
 
LudicrousSpeedGO! said:
I think it's possible that we pull an ISU LB. Their leading tackler is in the portal. Also, the next 2 LBs are in the portal including their #3 tackler. I think there is a decent chance that we could see some help at the position.
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Its the same type of decisions at most of the positions, other than WR where only Howard is likely looked at as a 2026 starter If Campbell brings in too many from the portal he may lose a player at that position that will be better than those he brought in. At LB I'd say that player is Tatsch. Tatsch is fast, physical and smart and could be a near term Sean Lee type player. I don't want to see him leave because the position gets clogged up with transfers!!
 
GregInPitt said:
Its the same type of decisions at most of the positions, other than WR where only Howard is likely looked at as a 2026 starter If Campbell brings in too many from the portal he may lose a player at that position that will be better than those he brought in. At LB I'd say that player is Tatsch. Tatsch is fast, physical and smart and could be a near term Sean Lee type player. I don't want to see him leave because the position gets clogged up with transfers!!
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Those discussions will be happening this week and next. We will definitely shore up depth at LB I would think. And we are losing a starter in Deluca. We may end up seeing the top players from Iowa St and PSU at each position. They are down to 16 players returning from their entire team now. I feel bad for them but they will get guys from Wash St and elsewhere.
 
GregInPitt said:
48 catches for 695 yards and 5 TD's playing for Duzzy. Would be an upgrade from Ross and Hudson, but Campbell needs to focus the availale NIL to go for a couple Home Runs at WR.
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The article said he was offered $1 million in the portal after the 2024 season but stayed at PITT. Sounds exaggerated. I doubt PSU would offer him anywhere near that amount.
 
RickinDayton said:
The article said he was offered $1 million in the portal after the 2024 season but stayed at PITT. Sounds exaggerated. I doubt PSU would offer him anywhere near that amount.
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And it would be a surprise if he gets that kind of offer this year. Last year he was going into he Junior season, 2 seasons of eligibility. He didn't exactly put up all American numbers this past season and he's a 0.86 rated transfer after being rated .87 out of high school.

I thought that PSU could have used him last off season as he seemed to be an up and coming playmaker and PSU needed all the help available at WR.... But we saw the results from adding 2nd 30 WR's. Time to go for the home run.
 
Will be interesting to see who else leaves from the WR room. Probably (hopefully) another 4-5. If so, they can shoot for a couple top guys rather than mid tier. Honestly may be their last /only offensive position they need to go large for as the ISU guys may come over at a decent price since they are used to nothing.

I am assuming the QB, RB, WR, TE and an OT come over from their offense.
 
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Sheriff Coffee said:
Huge!

https://twitter.com/x/status/2006026177639587874
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Wow, this is big news. Donkoh, along with Cousins and Shanahan, will be the anchors of the OL. When it looked like a total rebuild going into the bowl game with the possibility that none of this season's starters would return, and that OL may be a weakness in 2026, the performance of the rebuilt OL in the bowl game including the play of Rulli and Boyer gives a lot of reason for optimism for the 2026 offense. The new GM must have also came through for Donkoh with a fair $$ offer as well.

Another thing I take away from this is that the new staff, including coach Terry, have impressed the veterans enough such that there is enough respect for veteran players to want to stay and be a part of PSU football. I'm looking for a large majority of the players that we know are the talent nucleus of the roster to stay. The losses to date have been minimal. Washinton and Harris are two good players, the best of those that have announced for the portal, but the talent Terry has stacked up talent at CB and it showed out in the bowl game and CB should be just fine without them. If Dixon, Joseph, Tracy and Collins stay the transfers won't be missed too much and it will give any of the younger CB's that stay a better chance to devlop. Thomas and Johnson.
 
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GregInPitt said:
Wow, this is big news. Donkoh, along with Cousins and Shanahan, will be the anchors of the OL. When it looked like a total rebuild going into the bowl game with
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I hope you are right and most of the players Coach Campbell wants to keep stay. I know a big part of it is probably NIL money, but it would be great to see leaders on rhe team working to hold the team together.

I wonder if there is any way Campbell and Lynn can get Coleman to change his mind? That would be huge.
 
Nemo said:
I hope you are right and most of the players Coach Campbell wants to keep stay. I know a big part of it is probably NIL money, but it would be great to see leaders on rhe team working to hold the team together.

I wonder if there is any way Campbell and Lynn can get Coleman to change his mind? That would be huge.
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I think the best way to get Coleman to change his mind is how Parsons changed his. Ohio St was in the process of committing an NCAA violation with him and Parsons backed off of Ohio St. Now we have video evidence of Ohio St tampering with our roster in the middle of the season with Coleman. If it were to become a big deal and there were negative consequences to openly tampering with a conference foes' roster on national tv, Ohio St would potentially have to back off.

Alas, there are apparently no rules apparently and the powers that be are content to potentially ruin the sport. Had we tampered with their roster on national tv after the game and one of their top young players hit the portal, I guarantee that the Big 10 would be lighting us up right now.
 
GregInPitt said:
It won't be long before the list of players in the transfer portal is a mile long. But already a name is in that could help PSU. Nick Marsh from MSU would be a great addition to PSU's sorry WR room.

And with the strike out PSU had in the early signing period of the 2026 class, the lack of unsigned 2026 class players, and the early contact (i.e. tampering) that we all know goes on), it's not too early to look for articles, news, and rumors on PSU transfer targets.

247sports.com

2026 College Football Transfer Portal Top Prospects

2026 College football Transfer Portal Top Prospects
247sports.com 247sports.com

Given that the transfer portal activity will be subtracting from the roster and adding to the roster I am copying a roster review I posted into another thread here. As we hear of players leaving I'll do a strike through of that player, and as we hear of incoming players I'll add them to their position group, so we can look at the overall activity and see where the position weaknesses are as this plays out over the next few months.

Eligibility noted is for 2026 season)
Returning starters or players with some starting experience or significant contributors at their position in Bold

OFFENSE (38)
QB - Grunk(RS So), Kritza (RS Fr), Smolik(RS Jr), Falzone (2026 Fr), Evans(2026 Fr)
RB - Wallace(RS Jr), Martin(RS So), Smith(RS So), Hayes(RS Fr), Coleman(RS Fr) Keep'em all and there's no need for a 2026 or Portal RB. RB is very short on experience, but looks like a very talented group and any of the 5 could start and excel.
OT - Goodman(RS Fr), Williams(RS Jr)Sexton(RS So), Boyer(RS So), Aliciene(RS Fr), O'Hara(RS Fr), Pete Eglitis (2026 Fr)
OG/C - Loane (RS Sr), Donkoh(RS Sr), Cousins(Jr), Shanahan(RS Jr), Onoh(RS Jr), Birchmeier(RS Jr), Harbour(RS So), Brewer(RS So), Troutman(RS Fr), (are Loane and Donkoh going to the NFL?), Mason Bandhauer(2026 Fr)
TE - Reynolds(Jr), Rappleyea(RS Jr), Schlaffer(RS Jr), Olesh(RS Fr), and possibly one of the other 2025 class TE's (Kortovich and Henderson)
WR - Denmark(RS So), Howard(So), Gonzalez(RS So), Brown(RS So), Outen(RS Fr) , Exinor(RS Fr), Samuel(RS Fr), Black(RS Jr), Saunders(RS Sr), Ivey(RS Sr), Whitver(2026 Fr)

DEFENSE (42)
DT - White(RS Sr), Blanding(RS Jr), Gilliam(RS So), Wafle(RS So), Andrews(RS So), Cook(RS So), Adirika(RS Fr), Artis(RS Sr)
DE - Granville(RS So), Harvey(RS So), Coleman(So), Kemajou(So), Robinson(RS Jr), Mayer(RS Jr), Williams(RS So), Jennings(RS Fr), Harris(RS Fr), Burnett(RS Fr), Ford(2026 Fr)
LB - Rojas(Sr), Campbell(Sr), Tatsch(So), Wylie(RS Sr), Speca(RS So), Arrington(RS Fr), Smith(RS Fr), Jackson(RS So), Nelson(RS Jr)
S - Lane(Jr), Mack(Sr), Belgrave-Shorter(RS So), Toure(RS So), Thomas(RS Fr), Payne(RS Jr), Williams(2026 Fr)
CB - Harris(Sr), Tracey(Sr), Collins(RS Sr), Dixon(So), Woseley(RS So), Washington(Sr), Joseph(RS Fr), Thomas(RS Fr), Johnson(RS Fr), Chatman(2026 Fr)
Specialists Lucas Tenbrock (P/K, 2026 Fr)

All of these scholarship players won't stay but if all the players return that have starting experience, complimented with additions at positions of needed experience and talent (QB, OL, WR, DT, LB) the PSU roster would compare favorably to any B10 team not named Uh-high-ya or Oregon.

Hardest job to assemble a starting group would seem to be on the OL where if Loane and Donkoh go on to the NFL only Cousins and Shanahan have any starting experience. Campbell I believe has said his OL coach is coming with him. But there are petty big numbers of players along the OL that have been in the PSU S&C program mulitple years and that were high end recruits coming out of H.S. that the new coach will have to work with if he gets them to stay at PSU.

Additional 2026 Class Players (after early signing day)
1. Bryson Williams (S)
2. Tyrell Chatman (CB)
3. Lucas Tenbrock (P/K)
4. Kase Evans (QB)
5. Pete Eglitis (OT)
6. Mason Bandhauer (OL)
7. Keian Kaiser (LB)
8. Ben Whitver (WR)

Incoming Transfers
1.

Outgoing Transfers
1. Joey Schlaffer (RS-JR, TE) Odd TE out at a deep and talented position
2. Elliott Washington (Sr, CB) Rotational player that got some starts but got passed by younger players.
3. Chaz Coleman (So DE 12/18/25)
4. Birchmeier (RS-Jr OL 12/19/25)
5. AJ Harris (Sr CB 12/22/25)
6. Kari Jackson (RS-So LB 12/23/25)
7. Daniel Jennings (FS-Fr DE 12/24/25)
8, Anthony Ivey (RS-Sr WR 12/29/25)
9. Keon Wylie (RS-Sr LB 12/29/25)
10.


Losses to Graduation (out of eligibility or declaring for the NFL Draft)
1. Durant (DT)
2. Ford (DT)
3. Sutton (DE)
4. Fisher (DE)
5. DeLuka (LB)
6. Wheatley (S)
7. Allar (QB)
8. Allen (RB)
9. Singleton (RB)
10. Dawkins (OL)
11. Rucci (OL)
12. Shelton (OL)
13. Dinkins (TE)
14. Hudson (WR)
15. Ross (WR)
16. Pena (WR)
17. Clifford (WR)
18. Nwosu (P/KO)
19. Thompson (P)
20. Ioane (OG)

Pinstripe Bowl Opt Outs
1. Durant 12/9
2. Wheatley 12/10
3. Singleton 12/11
4. Vega Ioane 12/12 (off to NFL)
5. Zuriah Fisher 12/23 (petitioning for 6th season??, transferring??)

Campbell's Coaching Staff
Derek Hoodjer (from ISU) - General Manager
Jack Griffith (former Cincinnati Director of Player Personnel) - Assistant GM
Terry Smith ??
Taylor Mouser (from ISU) - OC
Ryan Clanton (from ISU) - OL (Trautwein to Florida)
Deon Broomfield (from ISU) - DB's and Secondary Defensive Coordinator
Reid Kagy (from ISU) - Director of Strength and Conditioning
Trent Slattenow(from Cincy) - director of player personnel
Jack Griffith (from ISU) - Recruiting Assistant
Noah Pauley - WR's Coach
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Donkoh staying!
 
LudicrousSpeedGO! said:
I think the best way to get Coleman to change his mind is how Parsons changed his. Ohio St was in the process of committing an NCAA violation with him and Parsons backed off of Ohio St. Now we have video evidence of Ohio St tampering with our roster in the middle of the season with Coleman. If it were to become a big deal and there were negative consequences to openly tampering with a conference foes' roster on national tv, Ohio St would potentially have to back off.

Alas, there are apparently no rules apparently and the powers that be are content to potentially ruin the sport. Had we tampered with their roster on national tv after the game and one of their top young players hit the portal, I guarantee that the Big 10 would be lighting us up right now.
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Coleman is certainly a big loss, however, it’s not surprising that an Ohio kid wants to play for Ohio State especially when they compete for a national championship every year. It will be pretty hard to prove tampering. Players and coaches from opposing teams interact after games all the time.
 
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