As expected, Penn State has lost yet another player to transfer.
Rumored for the past few days, Illinois officially announced Monday afternoon that offensive lineman Ryan Nowicki has transferred into the football program. Thanks to NCAA sanctions, Nowicki will be eligible to play immediately in 2012.
The redshirt freshman, a three-star member of the Nittany Lions’ 2011 recruiting class, becomes the first Penn State player to transfer within the conference.
“This gives Ryan an opportunity to play at the state school of where he lived as a young boy,” Illini head coach Tim Beckman said in a statement. “Ryan grew up in Chicago and still has many family members living in the city. We are glad to have him on our team for this season, and we are excited to see him compete in Rantoul this week.”
Nowicki practiced with his new team during the first day of summer camp earlier today.
All told, Penn State has lost eight players -- both current and incoming freshman -- since NCAA sanctions were announced two weeks ago today. A ninth, wide receiver Justin Brown, is expected to officially transfer to Oklahoma in the not-too-distant future.