With the transfer portal open, and with a new head coach, the Iowa State to Penn State diaspora is in full swing.
Penn State has accepted the transfers of 15 former Cyclones, all of whom followed their
head coach Matt Campbell to his new digs, turning Penn State into Iowa State East.
This does appear to be the new normal when a coach starts a new job. While it’s been commonplace for some players to follow their new coach, this volume of transfers is on the uptick.
When James Franklin left Vanderbilt for Penn State, 5 players flipped their commitments to PSU at the last minute, and that was the second most in that cycle.
When Curt Cignetti left JMU for Indiana, he brought with him 13 Dukes to help jump start the Hoosier roster.
What a difference a decade makes, huh?
The reason for this is obvious, as the players know that coach, and depending on their position, the scheme as well. With the transfer portal and full mobility for players, it makes sense for some of these guys to make that move.
For Matt Campbell, he needs to fill out Penn State’s roster. With just a 2-man recruiting class, and a litany of players either leaving for the NFL or entering the transfer portal themselves, Campbell needs to fill a roster that can compete in the Big Ten, and have depth for the inevitable injuries that will strike next season.
But what are your thoughts on the exodus of ISU players to PSU? Should Campbell not have taken their commitments? Or should he lean even harder into finding former Cyclones to come to Happy Valley?
