Penn State’s Ethan Grunkemeyer, J’ven Williams reportedly headed to portal
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Six Penn State football players announced Thursday they would be returning for the 2026 season and six others, including quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, are headed for the transfer portal, according to various reports.
ESPN reported that Grunkemeyer intends to enter the portal, which opens Friday, after starting the final seven games of the season and leading the Nittany Lions to a 4-3 record. He completed 69.1% of his passes this season for 1,341 yards and eight touchdowns with four interceptions.
His decision apparently means that new Penn State coach Matt Campbell will bring in a quarterback from the portal, most likely Iowa State’s Rocco Becht, who played for Campbell the last four seasons. Becht could become the first transfer to start at quarterback for the Lions.
Penn State offensive lineman and former Wyomissing star J’ven Williams has played in 21 games in three seasons as a reserve. (Penn State Athletics/Mark Selders)
Former Wyomissing star J’ven Williams also will enter the portal. A former five-star prospect, Williams was the crown jewel of Penn State’s 2023 recruiting class. He played in two games this season as a reserve, all 16 games last season primarily on special teams and three games as a freshman.
It also was reported Thursday that tight end Luke Reynolds, offensive lineman T.J. Shanahan and wide receivers Josiah Brown and Jeff Exinor Jr. are headed for the portal.
Reynolds caught 26 passes for 259 yards this season and nine for 111 yards and one TD last season. His most memorable play came on a successful fake punt run in a narrow victory at Minnesota last season. Shanahan, a transfer from Texas A&M, played in every game this season and made five starts, including the Pinstripe Bowl.
The Lions did receive some good news when linebacker Tony Rojas, cornerback Audavion Collins and safety Dejuan Lane all announced Thursday they would return.
Rojas started four games this season before suffering a season-ending knee injury during practice between the Oregon and UCLA games. He started every game in 2024 and made a 59-yard interception return for a touchdown against SMU in a first-round College Football Playoff game.
Collins, a transfer from Mississippi State, started every game this season, had 47 tackles, including 2.5 for losses, three pass breakups and one fumble recovery. Lane played in every game this season and had 29 tackles, 2.5 for loss, one sack and one pass breakup.
In addition, defensive end Max Granville, linebacker Alex Tatsch and offensive lineman Chimdy Onoh also announced they’d be returning.
Granville missed the 2025 season after sustaining an injury during spring practice. Tatsch played in six games as a true freshman and had 14 tackles, one in the backfield and one pass breakup before sustaining an injury last month. Onoh played in 12 games as a reserve after seeing action in five games in 2024 as a freshman.
On the coaching front, former Penn State wide receivers coach Marques Hagans is accepting a job with Michigan as assistant wide receivers coach, according to an ESPN report. He spent three seasons with the Lions.
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