ECU Shake-up Roster, Lands Big Ten Top Talent

Penn State’s Orange Bowl loss to Notre Dame generated plenty of headlines. Some of the focus was on James Franklin’s successful roster retention, keeping key players like Nicholas Singleton, Kaytron Allen, Drew Allar, and much of his veteran core in Happy Valley and out of the NFL draft. Others centered around the departures of Franklin’s top two wide receivers for 2024, Harrison Wallace III and Omari Evans, through the transfer portal. However, the transfer portal exit of wide receiver Tyler Johnson went largely unnoticed.

Johnson, who joined Penn State in 2022 as a three-star wide receiver out of Ridgeway, Virginia, saw limited playing time, totaling just 78 offensive snaps and failing to record a catch in his three years at the school. His most notable action came this past season, where he appeared in eight games, logging a career-high 28 snaps in the Nittany Lions’ 56-0 win over Kent State in Week 4.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, with two years of eligibility remaining, Johnson has transferred to East Carolina, according to ON3.com’s Pete Nakos.

 

 

 

Johnson will join former Penn State teammate London Montgomery at East Carolina in Greenville, North Carolina, to finish his college career. The Pirates finished 8-5 in 2024, including a strong 5-1 finish after firing head coach Mike Houston and promoting defensive coordinator Blake Harrell. This offseason, ECU removed Harrell’s interim tag, and he will now lead the program into 2025.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

East Carolina’s top receiver, Anthony Smith, will return for 2025 alongside quarterback Katin Houser. Johnson is expected to take over the WR2 spot, previously held by Chase Sowell, who transferred to Iowa State.

While Johnson’s departure won’t significantly impact Penn State in 2025, the Nittany Lions are facing a depth shortage at wide receiver after three players entered the transfer portal. This puts added pressure on incoming transfers Kyron Hudson and Devonte Ross, as well as rising redshirt freshman Tyseer Denmark, who is expected to take on a prominent role in offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki’s scheme.