Penn State's roster exodus is officially underway, and it's hitting close to home
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Blue White Illustrated confirmed Wednesday that Redshirt sophomore tight end Joey Schlaffer is out. The Reading native has been scrubbed from the team’s official roster, marking another departure as the Nittany Lions brace for what could be a brutal transfer portal cycle in January.
Schlaffer’s exit stings more than most. This was supposed to be a local success story — a four-star kid from Exeter Township who grew up bleeding blue and white, the half-brother of former Penn State offensive lineman Michal Menet, a 6-foot-5, 250-pound matchup weapon built for exactly the kind of offense Penn State has been chasing for years.
Instead, his path never opened.
The four-star recruit’s path never cleared
Schlaffer redshirted in 2023. Played 14 snaps across four games in 2024. Caught one pass — a touchdown against Villanova in September. That was it. His entire Penn State career, reduced to a single highlight against an FCS opponent.
James Franklin praised him after that game, and the words felt genuine. “It was really cool to see Joey Schlaffer get his first touchdown catch,” Franklin said. “Everybody’s journey is different, and I was very happy for Joey and his family. That opportunity he got, he maximized it.”
But maximizing one opportunity doesn’t matter when there are no others. Position coach Ty Howle has quietly assembled one of the deepest tight end rooms in the country — six scholarship players, all ranked as four- or five-star prospects. Schlaffer was once ranked No. 159 nationally and ninth among tight ends by On3. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough.
Schlaffer had added weight and polish to the roster, but younger players like Luke Reynolds and incoming freshman Andrew Olesh were already breathing down his neck.
This is what roster management looks like during a coaching transition
Schlaffer’s departure doesn’t come as a shock. What it does is expose how quickly the margins close at Penn State, especially now. With Franklin gone and the next head coach still unnamed, roster movement isn’t just expected, but inevitable.
The transfer portal opens January 2 and runs through January 16. Fifteen days. That’s the window where programs remake themselves, where players bet on their futures, where loyalty gets tested against opportunity. Players at schools undergoing coaching changes now have to wait five days after a new hire to enter the portal (unless that hire comes after the window opens).
For Schlaffer, the timing is brutal. He’s caught between what Penn State once promised and what his future actually holds. He stayed loyal. He waited his turn. He did everything right. But now he’s gone, searching for a program where the depth chart isn’t six deep with blue-chip talent, where one catch can turn into two, then five, then a career.
That’s the reality behind every elite position group. For every future star who breaks through, another quietly slips out the door. Penn State’s tight end room will keep humming. Schlaffer will get another shot somewhere else. But the kid who grew up dreaming of playing at Penn State? His journey in Happy Valley is over before it ever really began.
This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Nov 6, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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