Penn State is the No. 6 seed in the College Football Playoff and hosts No. 11 seed SMU on Saturday afternoon. The Nittany Lions have a huge game to focus on and certainly are trying to direct their attention there.
However, after backup quarterback and redzone contributor Beau Pribula announced his intention to transfer ahead of Penn State's first-round game, citing that the "overlapping CFB playoff and transfer portal timeline" had forced him into "an impossible decision," his former coach in Franklin ripped the college football calendar while praising Pribula's contributions.
"We got problems in college football, and I can give you my word Beau Pribula did not want to leave our program, and he did not want to leave our program until the end of the season," Franklin told the media on Monday. "But the way the portal is and the timing of it and the way our team is playing, and when you play the position of quarterback and there's only one spot and those spots are filling up, he felt like he was put in a no-win situation, and I agree with him. ...I don't think it's in the best interest of the student-athlete, I don't think it's in the best interest of college football."
Penn State starting quarterback Drew Allar announced that he would return for the 2025 season. While the announcement came following Pribula's announced transfer, those conversations about Allar's return were also a likely contributing factor for Pribula's decision to leave Penn State. Had Allar left for the NFL, Pribula would have been the likely favorite to take over at starting quarterback in Happy Valley.
But now Pribula is in the portal, and Penn State is left without a contributor to their success in the most important part of its season.
Pribula, who has two years of eligibility remaining, is tied for second on the team with six rushing touchdowns on 38 carries this season. He has rushed for 242 yards. Pribula has also completed 26 of 35 passing attempts for 275 yards and five touchdowns to one interception.
More of the Latest Around College Football
This article was originally published on www.si.com as James Franklin Rips College Football Calendar Amid Key Transfer Prior to CFP.
