Matt Campbell and the Penn State Nittany Lions have lost yet another player to the transfer portal.
Matt Campbell surely knew that when he took over as head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions, a mass exodus was coming.
But perhaps he didn't quite anticipate losing this many players.
Penn State has now lost 46 players to the transfer portal, with the most recent defector being running back Tikey Hayes, via Matt Zenitz and Chris Hummer of CBS Sports.
A former three-star recruit, Hayes officially signed with the Nittany Lions in December 2024 and spent just one season at Happy Valley, with his only playing time coming in the Pinstripe Bowl when he carried the ball three times for 18 yards.
Hayes had initially pledged his commitment to remain at Penn State earlier las week, but he obviously had a change of heart.
The Aliquippa, Pa. native is the third Nittany Lions halfback to enter the transfer portal this winter, with Corey Smith and Jabree Coleman representing the other two.
Penn State has poached a couple of running backs in the portal, as well, landing James Peoples and Carson Hansen, who formerly played for Ohio State and Iowa State, respectively.
Tikey Hayes. Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images.It's not like Campbell has been asleep at the wheel in terms of making transfer portal additions.
The Nittany Lions have secured commitments from 30 players in the portal, so Campbell is doing a fine job of rebuilding the roster. And again, significant turnover is always expected for a first-year head coach.
Campbell had spent the previous 10 years at Iowa State, going 72-55. His best season with the Cyclones came in 2024, when he led them to an 11-3 record and a win over Miami in the Pop Tarts Bowl.
Prior to coaching Iowa State, Campbell served five years as head coach of Toledo, where he went 35-15.
Meanwhile, Penn State entered 2025 with national championship aspirations, but instead went just 7-6. The Nittany Lions got off to a 3-0 start, but proceeded to lose six straight. James Franklin was fired as head coach after the first three losses.
Franklin had spent 12-plus years at Happy Valley, but was never able to get over the hump.
We'll see if Campbell can change things for Penn State, but it's certainly not going to be easy early on.