Penn State football in pursuit of ex-Big Ten DL in the transfer portal

Originally posted on Basic Blues Nation
By Morgan Chapman | Last updated 4/17/24

With the transfer portal officially open, many Penn State football fans are on the lookout for outgoing transfers. The Nittany Lions have lost two players so far this spring, both happened to play wide receiver. But that won’t stop James Franklin and his coaching staff from being aggressive in the transfer portal. Now, Penn State is considered an early team to watch for former Rutgers defensive lineman Rene Konga.

Penn State football in pursuit for ex-Big Ten DL in the transfer portal

Standing at 6-4 290 pounds, Rene Konga is the ideal size that the Penn State football team is looking for along the defensive line. The former Rutgers standout is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten player. Kong was a member of the 2020 recruiting class and a native of Ottawa, Canada. He was ranked as the No. 1 player coming out of Canada in the 2020 cycle.

Konga appeared in 10 games last season and tallied 8 tackles and 1 sack. On Tuesday, he announced that he would enter the transfer portal. Shortly after this announcement Steve Wilfong of On3 released an interesting tweet that should interest Penn State fans.

“Early teams to watch for former Rutgers DL Rene Konga include Penn State, Wake Forest, Kansas, Cincinnati, and Miami…”

Early teams to watch for former Rutgers DL Rene Konga include Penn State, Wake Forest, Kansas, Cincinnati and Miami. The 6-foot-4, 290-pound defensive lineman played in 10 games this past season, totaling eight tackles with a strip sack. Konga is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten… pic.twitter.com/ktKVOZ3qRN

— Steve Wiltfong (@SWiltfong_) April 16, 2024

James Franklin provides update on injured DL

The Nittany Lions are in great shape on the defensive line. However, depth could always be helpful. One player that Penn State does not know much about yet is ex-Old Dominion transfer Alonzo Ford. He suffered a season-ending injury last summer and has been recovering since then. But if he can prove himself to be an asset the Nittany Lions might have more depth than they once thought at the position.

Last week, James Franklin provided an update on Ford’s health.

“He’s not back,” Franklin said. “He’s close to being back. I think this summer, he will be a full go. I’m not talking about summer camp. I’m talking about the whole summer training. Besides that, he’s been great. We just haven’t seen a whole lot. His attitude has been great. He’s done really well in the classroom. He’s obviously lived in the treatment room.

“The strength staff has been able to work with him, the trainers have been able to work with him, everybody loves him. There’s just not a whole lot we’ve been able to see up to this point other than the stuff we saw when we recruited him.”

This article first appeared on Basic Blues Nation and was syndicated with permission.

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