Penn State offensive lineman CJ Thorpe enters NCAA transfer portal
The 6-foot-3, 313-pound Thorpe played for three seasons at Penn State and participated in 32 games -- 23 as a guard, nine as a defensive tackle.
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CJ Thorpe, who played three seasons of football at Penn State mostly as an offensive lineman, announced Thursday on Twitter he would be entering the NCAA transfer portal.
The 6-foot-3, 313-pound Thorpe, from the Pittsburgh area, played in 32 games for the Nittany Lions – 23 at guard and nine at defensive tackle. All eight of his career starts were on the offensive side of the football. His time on the defensive line came in the final nine games of the 2018 season.
In a statement on Twitter, Thorpe said he was looking to play on the defensive line at his next stop. He will have two years of eligibility remaining. Under NCAA rules, a player who competed during 2020 won’t have the season counted as a year of eligibility.
“With a year of experience in college on defense as well as a playing style that is truly made for it, I believe this is the best move for me,” he said. “It will allow me to pursue what I believe to be my true position on the field.”
Thorpe said his four years at Penn State, which counts his redshirt season of 2017, “have taught me unforgettable lessons” and that his “trials and tribulations helped me grow into the person I am today.”
Thorpe started the first three games of the 2020 season at right guard, then came off the bench in the next three contests after head coach James Franklin moved tackle Will Fries to guard and inserted Caeden Wallace at starting right tackle. Thorpe missed the last three games, which Franklin called a “medical decision.”
Thorpe is the third Nittany Lion to enter the transfer portal since the end of the season. Starting defensive tackle Antonio Shelton announced Wednesday he had committed to Florida. Another defensive tackle, Judge Culpepper, has not disclosed his next school.
Dotson to return
Wide receiver Jahan Dotson, the Lions’ top pass-catcher in 2020, announced on Twitter that he will return for his senior season. Dotson led the Big Ten in receiving yards with 884 and tied for first in touchdown catches with eight. He caught 52 passes and averaged 17.0 yards per reception. He also averaged 24.6 yards on eight punt returns, including an 81-yard TD.