Penn State Adds Temple DE from the Transfer Portal

Arnole Ebiketie, an all-conference player at Temple, is the fourth player to transfer to Penn State.

Penn State's busy tour of the NCAA Transfer Portal continues, as former Temple defensive end Arnold Ebiketie announced that he will join the roster. Ebiketie made the announcement Thursday on Twitter.

Glad to start a new journey and be part Of the penn state family #WeAre God’s plan pic.twitter.com/dv9IRuOTjQ

— Dr. Arnold Ebiketie (@A7chronic) December 31, 2020

Ebiketie is the fourth player to transfer to Penn State this offseason, as coach James Franklin makes good on his promise to be active in the portal. And defensive end is a position that Franklin called an offseason imperative, particularly since three ends (Shaka Toney, Jayson Oweh and Shane Simmons) have moved on with their careers. Toney and Oweh will enter the 2021 NFL Draft, and Simmons is pursuing a business career.

Ebiketie made 42 tackles (8.5 for losses) in just six games for Temple, earning second-team All-American Athletic Conference honors. He also scored on an 11-yard fumble return in Temple's win over South Florida.

Ebiketie (6-4, 240 pounds) was Temple's best pass-rusher, generating 22 quarterback pressures and 14 hurries this season. According to Pro Football Focus, he ranked as the No. 9 pass rusher in the AAC.

Highest-graded edge defenders in Wk 7:

1. Quincy Roche, Miami - 91.6
2. Arnold Ebiketie, Temple - 89.7
3. Jaelan Phillips, Miami - 87.5
4. Myles Murphy, Clemson - 85.5 pic.twitter.com/3PhEub4Tc6

— PFF College (@PFF_College) October 19, 2020

Like his new teammate, defensive tackle Derrick Tangelo of Duke, Ebiketie brings a veteran presence to Penn State. He has played 25 games in four years, including 12 during 2019. Yet Ebiketie is relatively new to football.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Ebiketie was born in Cameroon and moved to the United States when he was 12. He didn't didn't begin playing football until his sophomore year at Albert Einstein High in Maryland.

Ebiketie ended up winning three letters at Albert Einstein, where he also played basketball.

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