Tim Buckley becomes first official transfer from Penn State
Several Penn State players and recruits have pledged their allegiance to the university in light of NCAA sanctions that will keep the Nittany Lions out of the postseason for the next four years and a reduction of 40 scholarships in that time, but redshirt freshman safety Tim Buckley is not one of those players.
Buckley, a backup with four years of eligibility remaining, announced Monday he was transferring to N.C. State. He's originally from Raleigh, N.C.
Buckley becomes Penn State's first official defection, though backup quarterback Rob Bolden was released from his scholarship and is currently seeking transfer to LSU.
However, those two likely won't be the only ones looking for new homes this season. Since the NCAA is allowing current Penn State players to transfer to any school without having to sit out the mandatory year, many players are looking for fresh opportunities. Among those is running back Silas Redd, who is visiting USC and could be on the Trojans' roster before the end of the week.
Buckley's departure is a big loss for a Nittany Lions' secondary that was trying to replace both of its starters from a year ago. N.C. State actually returns all four starters in its defensive secondary, but Buckley will add some much-needed depth.
Now it's just a matter of before the other transfer dominoes begin to topple. With fall camp slated to start this week for many schools, any other transfers, if there are any, should be coming fast and furious.
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H/T ACC Now
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