Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1543434
M A R C H 2 0 2 6 4 3 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 / / / / / / / Alijah Carnell | DT/DE R-So. | 6-5 | 290 Iowa State | Henderson, Nev. On3 Transfer Portal Ranking: HHH, No. 234 DL Rivals Industry Ranking (2024): HHH, No. 158 DL Carnell was a three-star prospect at Bishop Gorman, one of the best high school programs in the country. He signed with Iowa State, where he saw action in 15 games in two years, total- ing 8 tackles before following Campbell to Penn State. Ahead of the 2025 season, Campbell said he'd seen "flashes of some elite football in his career going forward." At the time, Carnell weighed just over 300 pounds, yet the Cyclones' coaching staff saw him as someone who could contribute at defensive end as well as in the middle. "He can play both inside and out, so I think he's another guy who gives you flexibility," Campbell said. Jeremiah Cooper | DB R-Sr. | 6-0 | 195 Iowa State | El Paso, Texas On3 Transfer Portal Ranking: HHHH, No. 7 CB Rivals Industry Ranking (2022): HHH, No. 69 S Cooper was a regular contributor for the Cyclones during his first three years in the program before suffering a season- ending injury against Arkansas State last fall. His loss was a major blow to the Cyclones' defense, but because he played in only four games and had a redshirt available, Cooper will be able to suit up for Penn State this coming season. A first-team All-Big 12 player in 2023, Cooper finished his sophomore season with 45 tackles, 15 pass deflections and 5 interceptions, one of which he took back for a score. Dur- ing his tenure in Ames, he totaled 134 tackles, including 4.5 for loss, 29 pass deflections and 8 interceptions. He mostly played safety but also saw action at cornerback and as a nickel defensive back. Omarion Davis | S So. | 5-11 | 185 Boston College | Charlotte, N.C. On3 Transfer Portal Ranking: HHH, No. 133 S Rivals Industry Ranking (2025): HHH, No. 95 S Davis played in all 12 games as a true freshman at Boston College, seeing action both on defense and special teams. He totaled 153 snaps at strong safety, finishing with 13 tackles. Before signing with the Eagles, Davis was a three-star pros- pect at Indian Land High in Fort Mill, S.C. He totaled 14 schol- arship offers and visited Georgia Tech before committing to Boston College in June 2024. Cincinnati was also a serious contender. BC coach Bill O'Brien described Davis as a versatile safety who "does it all on the football field. Very, very instinctive player. Smart player. Can play down in the box. Excellent tackler." Kooper Ebel | LB Sr. | 6-4 | 235 Iowa State | Hartley, Iowa On3 Transfer Portal Ranking: HHH, No. 50 LB Rivals Industry Ranking (2023): HHH, No. 89 LB Ebel spent three seasons at Iowa State and was a key per- former last year, finishing with a career-high 77 tackles, in- cluding 8 for loss and a sack, along with a forced fumble and 3 passes defended. Campbell described him last November as one of the best defensive players in the Big 12. "He's playing with an elite, accelerated vision," Campbell said. "He's playing with unbelievable toughness. He leads. He never comes out of the game. When you need to make a play, that guy is there to make a play." Ebel was particularly effective late last season, logging 73 and 72 snaps against Arizona State and TCU, respectively. He then earned a season-best 77.2 defensive grade from PFF for his performance in Iowa State's finale at Oklahoma State, a game in which he totaled 7 tackles and 2 quarterback pres- sures. Ike Ezeogu | DT/DE R-Sr. | 6-5 | 285 Iowa State | Blue Springs, Mo. On3 Transfer Portal Ranking: HHH, No. 94 DL Rivals Industry Ranking (2022): HHH, No. 47 DE After four seasons in Ames, Ezeogu joined Penn State for his final collegiate campaign. His decision to follow the Iowa State staff to State College came as no surprise. Ezeogu had previ- ously lauded the Cyclones' team culture. "You've got guys staying later [after practice], guys coming in earlier, guys doing more things to help the team get a 'W' on Saturday," he said. Ezeogu played defensive end in Iowa State's three-man front but could move inside in the four-man line that PSU will most likely field in 2026. He started all 12 games and played 566 snaps for the Cy- clones last fall, totaling 25 tackles, including 3 for loss and a sack. Chris Fileppo | LB So. | 6-4 | 208 West Virginia | Doylestown, Pa. On3 Transfer Portal Ranking: HHH, No. 148 S Rivals Industry Ranking (2025): HHH, No. 141 LB A Pennsylvania native and three-star prospect coming out of La Salle College High last year, Fileppo spent one season at West Virginia before becoming one of 44 Mountaineers to enter the transfer portal in January. During his lone season in Morgantown, he saw action on 104 snaps in 12 games and finished with 12 tackles. While he was a nickel back in West Virginia's defense, Fileppo is expected to play linebacker at Penn State.