GOODNEWS: James Franklin, Penn State Reunite With Former Four-Star Recruit Via Transfer Portal
The Penn State Nittany Lions and head coach James Franklin undoubtedly had an amazing 2024 season. They finished 13-1 and went 8-1 in Big Ten games.
They entered the College Football Playoff as the No. 6 seed before eventually losing to No. 7 Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl, keeping them just short of a national championship appearance.
With the season over, Franklin must do what he can to improve the roster and try to make it even further next year.
Like most teams, that means making a sizable amount of transfer portal moves, and their latest addition is safety King Mack, with whom Penn State and Franklin are already very familiar.
Coming out of high school in 2023, 247Sports had Mack ranked as a four-star prospect, the No. 6 safety and the No. 86 player in the nation.
He originally signed with Penn State and recorded three tackles in his freshman season. After that, he transferred to Alabama in 2024, where his production was limited to just 14 tackles.
Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back King Mack (5) and Western Kentucky wide receiver Kisean Johnson (0)
Gary Cosby Jr.-Imagn Images
This homecoming for Mack could help Penn State maintain its defensive dominance from 2024 when it ranked eighth in points allowed per game (16.5) and seventh in total yards allowed per game (294.8).
He’s also not the only potential defensive difference maker Franklin has brought in through the portal, which includes three-star EDGE Owen Waffle and three-star EDGE Enai White.
