Meet Storm Duck, Penn State's Newest Cornerback

Duck, an all-conference player at North Carolina, chooses the Lions from the transfer portal.

Penn State coach James Franklin was in a good mood Wednesday at Disneyland, where he made a winking reference to his team's latest transfer player.

"We also like to look for interesting, strong names from the transfer portal," Franklin told reporters at the Rose Bowl event at Disneyland.

Penn State made its first big splash in the NCAA Transfer Portal on Wednesday, receiving a commitment from All-ACC cornerback Storm Duck, who spent the last four years at North Carolina. Duck announced his decision on social media.

Duck earned second-team all-conference honors after making 46 tackles, nine pass breakups and three interceptions for the Tar Heels. He entered the transfer portal as a graduate transfer and was among the top defensive names in the transfer class. On3 ranked Duck as the No. 11 cornerback in the portal.

Duck had a winding career with the Tar Heels. He earned a starting job as a freshman in 2019, making two interceptions and five pass breakups.

But injuries sidelined him in 2020 and '21, when he played in just eight total games. Duck returned strong this season, starting 12 games for North Carolina. He has one season of eligibility remaining.

Duck, a 3-star prospect at Boiling Springs High in South Carolina, enters a strong situation at Penn State. He'll have an opportunity to take over for All-America cornerback Joey Porter Jr., who entered the NFL Draft. The Lions also return all-Big Ten cornerback Kalen King, and could bring back veterans Marquis Wilson and Johnny Dixon as well.

At Disneyland, Franklin discussed the transfer portal in general. The Lions have received commitments from two transfers, including punter Riley Thompson from Florida Atlantic, but otherwise have been judicious. Franklin said Penn State is pursuing receivers, an offensive tackle and a defensive tackle through the portal but won't be a "huge portal team."

"Once you commit to being a huge portal team, then you almost have to do it every year," Franklin told reporters at the event. "For me, it has more to do with the developmental aspect of our program and the ton of respect that I have for the players in our program. For us, a lot of times we’re just trying to solve issues, very similar to what people used to do back in the day with junior colleges."

Penn State plays Utah in the 109th Rose Bowl on Jan. 2. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:10 p.m. EST on ESPN.

PENN STATE FANS: Looking for Rose Bowl tickets? SI Tickets is your one-stop shop for tickets to a variety of Penn State sporting events, from football to basketball, hockey to volleyball. Need tickets to the Penn State game? Check out SI Tickets.

Read More

ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit says Penn State is 'right there' and ready to contend for a playoff spot

The remarkable story of Penn State's first Rose Bowl

Penn State begins Rose Bowl prep in Los Angeles

Analyst Mike Golic Jr. scouts the Rose Bowl

Penn State's Juice Scruggs to enter the NFL Draft after the Rose Bowl

First impressions of Penn State's 2023 recruiting class

Penn State mourns the loss of Franco Harris

James Franklin calls NIL "the wild, wild west"

Will Penn State pursue another quarterback for next season?

Penn State signee Jaxon Smolik is the 'steal' of the 2023 quarterback class, James Franklin says

New NIL partnership says, 'We're about to change history for Penn State football'

AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.