Report: Penn State Tight End to Enter Transfer Portal

Nittany Lions tight end Jerry Cross plans to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, according to On3.

A general view inside of Beaver Stadium prior to the game between the Maryland Terrapins and the Penn State Nittany Lions. / Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State tight end Jerry Cross will enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, his agent told On3's Pete Nakos, becoming the first player Nittany Lions player to publicly acknowledge his intention in the 2024 transfer cycle. The portal opens Dec. 9, two days after Penn State plays Oregon in the Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis.

Cross, a redshirt sophomore, spent three years with the Nittany Lions and will have two seasons of eligibility remaining. He played in three games for the Nittany Lions this season and has dealt with injuries dating to his freshman year. Penn State played three primary tight ends this season, including true freshman Luke Reynolds, who started four games.

Cross, who played in eight games over the past two seasons at Penn State, was a 4-star recruit in the team's 2022 recruiting class. The Milwaukee, Wisconsin, native was a two-time team captain at Rufus King High, where he played wide receiver. Injuries limited him to three games as a senior, and his team did not play football during his 2020 junior season because of the pandemic. As a sophomore, Cross caight 28 passes for 750 yards and 13 touchdowns.

The NCAA Transfer Portal for FBS players runs from Dec. 9-28, 2024. The NCAA's Division I Council in April amended its transfer rules to allow players to be eligible immediately no matter how often they had transferred previously.

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