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It looked as though Penn State defensive lineman Smith Vilbert was going to return to the Nittany Lions for an extremely rare seventh season of eligibility. But now, it is expected Vilbert will spend that seventh season of collegiate eligibility elsewhere.
According to a report from On3 reporter Pete Nakos, via social media, Vilbert has entered the NCAA transfer portal, which is the first step in pursuing a new college football home for any player. By entering the transfer portal, Vilbert, who will be a grad transfer, is free to make contact with any college football program interested in adding him to a roster this season.
Vilbert picked up an extra year of free eligibility from the NCAA for the 2020 season impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. He redshirted his first season on campus in 2019 and was granted a medical redshirt for losing the 2023 season.
Vilbert recorded 12 tackles and 4 TFL with 2 forced fumbles and 1.5 sacks this past season while playing as a second option on the line behind Abdul Carter and Dani Dennis-Sutton. With Carter moving to the NFL, Vilbert could have become a top candidate to lock down a more prominent role on the defensive line in 2025 beginning this spring. But now, he will likely pursue an opportunity with a new program.
Vilbert can still stay with Penn State by taking his name out of the NCAA transfer portal database, although players entering their names in the portal do end up leaving their current position far more often than not.
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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Penn State defensive lineman Smith Vilbert to enter transfer portal
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/veteran-penn-state-defensive-lineman-235030524.html
Author : Nittany Lions Wire
Publish date : 2025-02-25 23:50:00
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