Penn State OL J’ven Williams plans to enter NCAA transfer portal

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Penn State OL J’ven Williams plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal, On3 has learned. Williams is a former four-star recruit.

Williams spent three seasons in Happy Valley, but injuries limited him to 17 total snaps this fall: two on offense and 15 on special teams back in September. He ultimately appeared in 21 games during his time with Penn State, including 16 in 2024 where he mostly played on special teams.

His most notable performance came against Kent State in 2024, which saw him involved heavily along an offensive line that blocked for a school record 718 yards of offense. This included a whopping 40 first downs (another school record), and 409 passing yards — the fifth-most in Penn State history.

Before college, Williams was a highly sought-after four-star recruit in the 2023 recruiting class per the Rivals Industry Rankings, which is a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services. He was the No. 43 overall player in his class and No. 1 interior lineman as well as the top-ranked player from Pennsylvania.

Williams is the 20th Nittany Lions player to reveal their intention enter the NCAA transfer portal ahead of it’s opening on Jan. 2. This comes amid a coaching change in Happy Valley. Penn State fired former head coach James Franklin after a slow start to the season. He’s since taken the same job at Virginia Tech, and has been replaced with former Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell.

Penn State finished the 2025 season with a 7-6 record, which fell well below standards in Happy Valley. However, the Nittany Lions were able to cap off the season on a positive note — a 22-10 win over Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl. The Nittany Lions won the final four games of their season to help qualify for bowl eligibility.

Looking to revamp their roster, Penn State will likely be active in the transfer portal amid the staff changes this offseason. The new one-time NCAA transfer portal will be open for 15 days after opening on Jan. 2.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

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