A high-profile member of one of the Penn State football program’s recent recruiting classes is on his way out the door.
Citing unnamed sources, 247Sports.com reported Wednesday afternoon that Ricky Slade has entered his name into the NCAA transfer database. No one from the Penn State football program has yet confirmed the development.
A five-star member of the Nittany Lions’ 2018 recruiting class, Slade was rated as the No. 1 all-purpose running back in the country. Slade was also the No. 1 player regardless of position in the state of Virginia. Only two signees in PSU’s class that year, defensive end Micah Parsons and wide receiver Justin Shorter, were rated higher than Slade.
In two seasons, Slade ran for 471 yards and eight touchdowns on 92 carries. This past season, he also caught 12 passes for another 105 yards.
Journey Brown, a sophomore, led Penn State in rushing in 2019 with 890 yards and a dozen touchdowns. In the Cotton Bowl win over Memphis, Brown ran for 202 yards.
During this current recruiting cycle, James Franklin has added a pair of four-star recruits at Slade’s position. Caziah Holmes was rated as the No. 5 all-purpose back in the country, Keyvone Lee the No. 22 running back in this class.