Penn State head coach James Franklin is supposed to be getting his team preparing to play SMU on Saturday in the first round of the College Football Playoff at Beaver Stadium in Happy Valley. Unfortunately, Franklin had to address another significant issue for the team on Monday.
Penn State had a quarterback choose to transfer on Sunday
On Sunday, sophomore quarterback Beau Pribula announced he was transferring from PSU days before their contest against SMU. In his statement, Pribula claimed not to want to transfer before the playoffs, but he decided to do so after speaking to coaches and his family.
” The current NCAA post-season model creates a challenge for student-athletes,” Pribula wrote. “The overlapping CFB playoff & transfer portal timeline has forced me into an impossible decision. After speaking at length with my family and coaches, it is with a heavy heart that I announce my intentions to enter the transfer portal and depart from the team to explore opportunities elsewhere.”
— Beau Pribula (@beauprib) December 16, 2024
In 2024, Pribula threw for five touchdowns and ran for four more. He played a role in the Nittany Lions’ offense–even when Drew Allar was healthy. However, with Allar returning to Happy Valley for his senior season in 2025, Pribula had to enter the transfer portal if he wanted to find a starting job for next season.
James Franklin addresses the transfer portal
On Monday, Franklin addressed the matter during his press conference. Per Seth Engle of StateCollege.com, Franklin said college football has an issue with the transfer portal.
“We got problems in college football,” Franklin said. “I can give you my word. Beau Pribula did not want to leave our program and he did not want to leave our program until the end of the season. Beau should not be put in this position.”
Fans on social media had mixed reactions to Pribula’s decision. While Pribula did what was best for his career, his decision to transfer from PSU before the CFP hurt his teammate’s chances of winning a national title.
The way the transfer portal is regulated needs to change before the 2025 season. Players should be able to finish out a season before leaving their football team. Pribula deserves a chance to find a team to start for in 2025. He also deserves a chance to help push the Nittany Lions to a national title, a goal the team has been working toward for months.
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