Penn State defensive end Jake Wilson, a developmental squad standout and favorite of coach James Franklin’s, has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal. Wilson, a walk-on who enrolled at Penn State in 2020, will transfer as a graduate student with two seasons of eligibility remaining. Rivals first reported Wilson’s decision.
Wilson was a special teams player for Penn State football, appearing in all 26 games over the past two years. He played defensive snaps in three games this season.
Wilson earned a strong reputation on Penn State’s developmental squad. He was the unit’s co-defensive player of the year, with freshman linebacker Kaveion Keys, and often drew praise from Franklin. Following the Indiana game, Franklin said that Wilson and walk-on cornerback Jace Tutty “have been really awesome all year long.”
“Jake has been Mr. Consistent,” Franklin said of Wilson in November. “[He’s] been phenomenal for us and having a big role in getting us ready each week to be able to be successful.”
Wilson, a graduate of Nazareth (Pa.) High School, played in 27 games for Penn State over the past three seasons. He was a three-sport athlete at Nazareth and wrestled for the program’s 2020 team that won a dual-meet state championship.