Penn State football transfer roundup: Levis starts strong while others make their debuts
With the start of a new season, it’s time to take a look at the start of the season for players who transferred away from Penn State.
The first few weeks have seen mixed results for some of the top names in this category so let’s recap.
Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
Since he departed from Happy Valley, Levis has received hype as both a hot NFL Draft prospect and a dark-horse Heisman contender.
Levis threw for 2,826 yards and combined for 33 touchdowns during his first season as a starter last year.
Now entering his senior season, Levis had an early opportunity to shine against Miami (OH) and did not disappoint.
Levis finished his day with 303 passing yards, three touchdowns and one pick.
The Wildcats remain at No. 20 in the polls and will have a tough matchup this weekend, traveling to the Swamp to take on Florida.
Noah Cain, RB, LSU
Cain announced his decision to transfer at the end of last season, and his transition to the SEC did not get off to a good start.
Against Florida State in primetime, the junior running back only had seven carries for 23 yards but did find the endzone late in the game.
After a freshman season where he broke out with 443 rushing yards with 5.3 yards per carry, Cain had 363 yards in his last two seasons at Penn State before transferring.
The Baton Rouge native still has time to turn things around but has a long way to go.
Justin Shorter, WR, Florida
It’s been an interesting journey for the former five-star receiver.
Shorter started his career as a Nittany Lion, but after a rough first two years, he put his name in the transfer portal and joined the Gators ahead of the 2020 season.
The now redshirt junior is entering his third season as a Gator and is coming off a season with 550 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
During the Gators’ upset win against No. 7 Utah, Shorter carved out a small role with two receptions for 25 yards.
Tyler Rudolph, DB, UMass
Let’s wrap things up on the defensive side of the ball.
Rudolph spent three seasons with Penn State before putting his name in the transfer portal during the middle of last season.
The redshirt sophomore made an early impact in his Minutemen debut against Tulane. Despite the loss, Rudolph finished the game with five total tackles, which were good enough for second on the team.
Logan Bourandas is a senior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email lxb5412@psu.edu.
