Penn state adds punter through transfer portal
Penn State made its first significant addition through the NCAA Transfer Portal on Saturday, and it comes in a potential spot of need.
gambler Riley Thompsonformerly known as Florida Atlantic, declared his commitment to Penn State in a social media post Saturday afternoon.
Thompson entered the transfer portal on December 13 after his first season at FAU.
Thompson has one season of eligibility remaining. His eligibility hour had begun in Australia, but he was still listed as an FAU roster freshman.
During his only season at FAU, Thompson emerged as a notable newcomer. Thompson ranked No. 15 nationally with an average of 45.4 yards per punt, and his net 41.4 yards per punt led all true freshmen. Thompson hit only three of his 61 fumble attempts, while 14 of his shots were caught fair. He put 26 inside the opponent’s 20-yard line and hit 15 at least 50 yards. He had a long 71 yards.
I am honored to announce that I have committed to Penn State University.
I appreciate all the support, especially from @employee And the @employee And the @employee .
Thanks for the opportunity @employee @employee @employee #we #Pennsylvania state #107k strong pic.twitter.com/cpLzKeGEFF
– Riley Thompson (rathompson_) December 17, 2022
Because of his listed eligibility, Thompson was named to the 247Sports True Freshman All-American Team, which also featured the Nittany Lions. Nick Singleton And the Abdul Carter. Thompson was also named a freshman by College Football News and the athleteand received honorable mention from All-Conference USA.
The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Thompson, who turns 23 on January 9, hails from Menton, Australia. As of December 2021 Maverick A story about Prokick Australia, which helps train punters and kickers to play American football, Thompson is a former Australian rules footballer who earned a degree at Deakin University, works in his parents’ “butcher’s fittings factory” and plays in a semi-professional league.
Thompson joins a special teams unit at Penn State that could see some overhaul this season. long snapper Chris Stoll and the gambler Barney Omar Both are disqualified, while the kicker Jake Pinjar He has the option to return for a sixth season.
Currently, Penn State is scheduled to return as a freshman Alex Wandwho was a scholarship player in the class of 2022, and a redshirt freshman Gabe Nwosuto walk, in the gambler.
Amor did well in 2022 and averaged 43.92 yards per punt on 50 attempts, while putting 20 of those attempts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. Amor was voted honorable mention All-Big Ten by the conference coaches, and was also named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance against Northwestern on October 1.
Bacchetta appeared in two games and averaged 41 yards on his three punts with two touchdowns inside the 20. Nwosu kicked twice and averaged 34 yards per punt.
Bacchetta was rated a three-star recruit in the class of 2022. He was the No. 3 punter at 247 Sports Composite, while Kohl’s Kicking ranked him No. 1 in the country.
Special Teams Coordinator “To be able to get some live kicks, you can take as many balls as you want, and you can do that against a scouting team” Stacy Collins He said Friday, “But to get the reps for the game, I thought it was very important.”
With just one year of eligibility, adding Thompson to the room with Bacchetta and Nwosu boosts the specialist’s depth and provides another short-term option for the Nittany Lions.
Thompson is the second Specialist to announce his transfer to Penn State this offseason. Former Colombia kicker Alex Filkins He announced his intention to join the Nittany Lions earlier this month.
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Daniel Gallen covers Penn State for Lions247 and 247Sports. He can be contacted at daniel.gallen@cbsinteractive.com. Follow Daniel on Twitter at @employee.
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