Penn State football roster in flux: What to know at receiver, defensive line in 2024?

Penn State football continues to reshape its two most watched position groups for the 2024 season.

The Nittany Lions' much-criticized receiver corps recently gained one key contributor and lost another.

And its ever-shifting defensive line will, somewhat surprisingly, welcome back an important leader.

The NCAA transfer portal allows Penn State to accelerate its 2024 roster reconstruction with spring practice still more than two months away. Undergrads had to announce their intentions to transfer this week, with most announcing their new destinations in the upcoming month.

Graduate students can enter the portal at any time.

Penn State football: Will new receivers join Julian Fleming?

The first focus of Penn State's makeover for the expanded Big Ten and College Football Playoff? The receiver room may be overhauled.

The Lions lost their second wideout since the end of the regular season when Dante Cephas headed back into the transfer portal. The former Kent State standout underwhelmed in his only season with the Lions, averaging less than two receptions per game, scoring only twice and not even playing in the Peach Bowl.

Little-used backup Cristian Driver announced his transfer intentions in early December.

Penn State needs a makeover under new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki. Its No. 1 target (KeAndre Lambert-Smith) faded down the stretch, its No. 2 (Tre Wallace) missed much of the season to injury and its transfers (Cephas, Malik McClain) provided little production.

Considering that only four wideouts on last year's roster provided any meaningful impact at all, the positive restructuring, they hope, began with a key addition this week.

On the same day that Cephas reportedly left via the portal, former 5-star recruit and Ohio State standout Julian Fleming confirmed he was joining the Lions.

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He brings a reputation as a reliable pass-catcher and dominating blocker on the edge who figures to become an alpha member of the room quickly. The senior overcame injuries and fought his way through arguably the most talented receiver room in the nation.

The Lions certainly may try to add other wideouts via the transfer portal, either this month or when it re-opens in April. Meanwhile, more of their current receivers may leave the crowded room. For example, veteran players McClain, Malick Meiga and Anthony Ivey have struggled to earn any significant playing time yet.

While Lambert-Smith led the Lions with 53 catches last year, even he managed just three, combined, over the final three games. He was rarely even targeted after making a game-winning touchdown catch against Indiana on Oct 28.

He was the only Penn State wideout to produce more than 300 receiving yards last season − a stunning number considering the offense's point production (36 per game), the ability of QB Drew Allar and the Lions' 10 victories.

Defensive line rebuild begins with Dvon Ellies

Ellies' decision to return for a sixth year on defense was welcomed even if a bit suprising.

The Maryland native walked with the outgoing seniors during the past two regular-season finales. He did finally become an every-game starter in 2023 with five of his 26 tackles going for losses.

He brings leadership and reliability to Penn State's shifting front four − the ones who led the charge for the No. 1 defense and top sack team in the nation. The Lions must replace All-Big Ten rush ends Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac with a host of younger players, led by former 5-star recruit Dani Dennis-Sutton.

Who will start opposite of Dennis-Sutton is more intriguing. The battles figures to be strong between experienced backups Zuriah Fisher and Amin Vanover and younger Jameial Lyons, a super-talented rookie in 2023.

Defensive tackle is more uncertain.

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Will part-time starter Hakeem Beamon return with Ellies to use his extra, sixth year of eligibility? He's still not announced his decision publicly. Same for another key rotational player, Coziah Izzard, a potential fifth-year senior.

The future also is cloudy for returners Jordan van den Berg, whose repeated praise by coach James Franklin has not translated into playing time or production (11 tackles in 2023), and transfer Alonzo Ford. The junior from Old Dominion missed all of last season with injury.

Most reliable next to Ellies should be Zane Durant. The junior is trending upwards after making 5.5 tackles for loss and a pair of sacks in extensive playing time in 2023.

Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at  fbodani@ydr.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Penn State football, 2024: Dante Cephas leaves, Dvon Ellies returns