Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1541276
1 2 D E C E M B E R 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 P enn State is expected to see plenty of players depart when the transfer portal opens in January. On Nov. 5, the first of those players signaled his intent to move on. Redshirt sophomore tight end Joey Schlaffer was officially removed from the roster, bring- ing an end to his three-year tenure with the Nittany Lions. Schlaffer, a former four-star prospect from Exeter Township High in Reading, Pa., was part of Penn State's 2023 recruiting class. He's also the half-brother of for- mer Nittany Lion offensive line- man Michal Menet. Shortly after Schlaffer disap- peared from the roster, interim head coach Terry Smith confirmed that the tight end would not be with the team going forward. "Joey made a decision to leave," Smith said. "We respect that." Listed this fall at 6-foot-5, 250 pounds, Schlaffer redshirted his first year on campus and saw ac- tion in four games during the 2024 season, totaling just 14 snaps. He played in all three of Penn State's nonconference games this fall, scor- ing his first collegiate touchdown on a 19-yard pass from redshirt freshman quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer in the fourth quarter of the Nittany Lions' 52-6 victory over Villanova on Sept. 13. "It was really cool to see Joey Schlaf- fer get his first touchdown catch," said former head coach James Franklin fol- lowing the game against the Wildcats. "We're really happy for him. We talked about everybody's journey being dif- ferent, and I was very, very happy for Joey and his family. That opportunity that he got, he maximized it." Position coach Ty Howle has built one of the deepest rooms in the country in recent years, with all six of Penn State's remaining tight ends having received either four- or five-star status com- ing out of high school. Schlaffer fit that profile, with On3 ranking him as the No. 159 overall prospect and No. 9 tight end nationally and the No. 4 player in Penn- sylvania in the 2023 cycle. Last spring, BWI's Sean Fitz high- lighted Schlaffer as a player approach- ing a turning point in his career, noting that he was fighting for snaps with a couple of younger tight ends in sopho- more Luke Reynolds and true freshman Andrew Olesh. "It's Schlaffer's third spring, so now or never may be a bit harsh, but that's the nature of the room," Fitz wrote. "Jerry Cross was just one class ahead of Schlaffer and in the same position a year ago. He's now at Memphis. Schlaffer's build has taken him from about 215 pounds to a listed weight of 240. He's still long and rangy and runs as well as anyone in the room, but he's been passed by Reynolds, and Andrew Olesh is hoping to get onto the field right away. Penn State will be fine at tight end, regardless, but this seems like a vital stretch for Schlaffer." Schlaffer ended up not see- ing much action. His touchdown against the Wildcats will stand as his only career reception at PSU. It remains to be seen whether Schlaffer will be joined by other outgoing transfers in the weeks ahead. Even with the Nittany Li- ons entering the final weeks of a difficult season and the possibility of a bowl game very much in doubt, Smith said he wasn't expecting to see a rush for the exit doors. "I don't anticipate anyone else leaving," he said a few days before the Nittany Lions faced Indiana. "The morale has been really good. At the end of the day, we're going to play with who is here, and our roster is still here. These guys are excited to play a great Indiana team this weekend. They're preparing to go play hard on Saturday." The 2025-26 transfer window will last 15 days, from Jan. 2-16. The NCAA used to give players an immediate 30- day window in which to transfer if their school fired its coach. Now, players must wait for five days until after the next coach is hired to declare their in- tentions publicly, unless the hire comes after the start of the Jan. 2 window. ■ Schlaffer caught a 19-yard touchdown pass in Penn State's 52-6 victory over Villanova, the only reception of his career with the Nittany Lions. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS TIGHT END JOEY SCHLAFFER LEAVES NITTANY LIONS R Y A N S N Y D E R | RYA N . S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M