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Report: Penn State DL withdraws name from transfer portal, returning for 2023 season
Published:
Davon Townley is staying in Happy Valley after all.
The Penn State defensive lineman announced that he would be returning to the program for the 2023 season. Townley initially entered the transfer portal, but elected to withdraw his name after having a change of heart.
Townley, a 6-foot-6, 267-pound defender, chose Penn State over B1G programs like Minnesota, Nebraska, Indiana, Michigan State, and others. A native of Minnesota, Townley redshirted as a freshman in 2021 and played sparingly in 2022. He finished last season with just 3 total tackles.
The Nittany Lions are a trendy pick to make the College Football Playoff following their Rose Bowl victory over Utah earlier this month. Penn State is moving off quarterback Sean Clifford, but could be upgrading with freshman Drew Aller. The offense also already features a pair of top-tier running backs in Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton.
Defensively, Townley could be a part of a unit that reaches new heights under 2nd-year defensive coordinator Manny Diaz. Last season, the Nittany Lions ranked 17th nationally in total defense (323.5 yards allowed per game), 17th in run defense (109 yards allowed per game), and 9th in scoring (18.2 points allowed per game).
Townley is expected to shift inside to defensive tackle next season after playing defensive end the previous 2 seasons.
(H/T 247Sports)
Cole Thompson is a freelance writer for Saturday Tradition who has covered college football and the NFL for multiple websites. Thompson is currently based in Houston, Texas, and also can be heard daily on SportsMap National Radio's 'Just Sayin It' from 3am-6am.