Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1532761
5 6 M A R C H 2 0 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / T R A N S F E R S / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / Penn State likes to pursue players in the transfer portal with whom it has prior recruiting relationships. The Nittany Li- ons did just that in December when they picked up Texas A&M defensive end Enai White. A standout at Imhotep Charter in Phil- adelphia, White was a coveted prospect in the 2022 recruiting cycle, totaling more than 40 offers. On3 ranked him as the second-best player in Pennsylvania that year and No. 45 nationally. Charles Power, On3's director of scouting and rankings, called him "a long edge [rushing] prospect with a considerable frame and physical upside." Penn State hosted him for three visits in 2018 and '19, but White took official visits to Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Ohio State and Texas A&M and didn't have the Lions among his finalists. He eventually chose the Aggies over Alabama and Georgia. White was able to make an impact during his first college season, totaling 8 tackles, 2 tackles for loss and a sack in seven games. He then played in five of the first six games of his sophomore year but suffered a season-ending knee injury in mid-October. At the start of preseason camp last fall, head coach Mike Elko said White hadn't yet fully recovered. "Enai White is still banged up," Elko said in late July. "He is still recovering from his knee surgery, so we won't have him right away, but we expect him to be ready for the start of the season." Unfortunately for White, it didn't play out that way. During the 2024 season, he received just 1 snap against Missouri in Week 6 and 8 against New Mexico State in Week 12. The one positive to come out of his quiet season was that it didn't cost him any of his eligibility. The 6-foot-5, 262-pounder had a redshirt year available and used it, giving him two more seasons of eligibility at Penn State. White was listed as a three-star trans- fer in the On3 Industry Ranking, plac- ing 49th among edge rushers and 378th overall during the winter transfer window. Defensive line coach Deion Barnes is betting on White to make an impact for the Nittany Lions as early as this com- ing season. With Abdul Carter headed to the NFL and Amin Vanover having been denied an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA, White should help the staff bridge the gap to some of the younger edge rush- ers they've added in recent years. — Ryan Snyder Penn State will bring back seven de- fensive tackles next season with at least three years of eligibility, but that didn't stop the Nittany Lions from add- ing another young interior lineman via the transfer portal in redshirt freshman Owen Wafle of Middletown, N.J. The 6-foot-2, 286-pound Wafle comes to PSU from Michigan, but the Wolverines weren't his original college choice. Following his sophomore sea- son at the Hun School, he committed to Notre Dame and stuck with that decision for a year. As he got close to official visit season, Wafle decided that he also wanted to check out Michigan. He decommitted from the Irish in May 2023 and joined the Wolverines' class a month later. Penn State never formally extended a scholarship offer, but Wafle's father, David, said James Franklin had long been interested. "Penn State was always in the pic- ture," the elder Wafle said. "He was def- initely recruited by them pretty hard, but everything was just a little different, with him committing to Notre Dame in May of his sophomore year." Wafle totaled 39 tackles for loss dur- ing his three seasons at the Hun School. He enrolled at Michigan last year, but by the time he got to Ann Arbor, everything had changed. Head coach Jim Harbaugh had left for the NFL, and he also took defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and defensive line coach Mike Elston with him. Wafle didn't see action for the Wol- verines last fall and entered the transfer portal just days after their bowl game on Jan. 2. He was listed as a three-star portal prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking, placing 88th among defensive tackles in the winter transfer window. Wafle ended up visiting North Caro- lina, Oklahoma, Rutgers and Wiscon- sin. The Sooners gave him a lot to think about. In the end, though, his trip to Penn State on Jan. 7 impressed him and his family the most. "What separated Penn State is the system. Their system at Penn State, for a defensive lineman, is a dream come true, especially for Owen," his father said. "It's a vertical system. It relies on athleticism and explosiveness, which is Owen's strong suit. He gets off the ball very quickly and he's powerful. We believe that system is amazing for him." — Ryan Snyder Owen Wafle Finds Perfect Fit On Lions' Defensive Front Highly Rated Enai White Looks To Bounce Back From Injury THE WAFLE FILE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ DT | R-Fr. 6-2 | 286 Michigan The Hun School Middletown, N.J. THE WHITE FILE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ DE | R-Jr. 6-5 | 262 Texas A&M Imhotep Charter Philadelphia