Official 2026 Roster Movement Thread - Who's In and Who's Out?

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MNVCGUY

MNVCGUY

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Official portal window still a little ways off but names have started to pop up around the country so figured it was time to start this annual thread.

Transfers In: 14
Michael Merdinger - QB - Liberty
Jaron Thomas - RB - Purdue
Bennett Warren - OT - Tennessee
Andrew Marshall - LB - Eastern Michigan
Naquan Crowder - DT - Marshall
Perry Thompson - WR - Auburn
Parker Knutson - S - Southwest Minnesota State
Aydan West - CB - Michigan State
Elijah West - S - Michigan State
Beckham Sunderland - K - Michigan
Mekhai Smith - S - Lehigh
Zachary Robbins - P/K - Utah State
TJ Bush Jr. - Edge - California
Kaden Helms - TE - Oklahoma

Transfers Out or no longer on team: 20
Tre Berry - RB - TBD
Reese Tripp - OL - TBD
Caleb McGrath - P - TBD
Quentin Redding - WR - TBD
Kenric Lanier - WR - TBD
Jackson Kollock - QB - TBD
Harrison Brun - DB - TBD
Ethan Carrier - DB - South Dakota
Legend Lyons - WR - TBD
Cristian Driver - WR - TBD
Fame Ijeboi - RB - TBD
David Kemp - K - TBD
Malachi Coleman - WR - TBD
Brody Richter - P - TBD
Drew Wilson - LB - TBD
Za'Quan Bryan - DB - South Florida
Kahlee Tafai - OL - TBD
Koi Perich - DB - TBD
Steven Curtis - DL - TBD
Jaylen Bowden - DB - East Carolina

Leaving Early for NFL:

Retiring From Football with Eligibilty Left: 2
Nate Becker - DL - (not official)
Spencer Alvarez - OL - (not official)

Announced they are Coming Back - (will do my best with this one)
Drake Lindsey - QB
Jalen Smith - WR
AJ Turner - RB
Maverick Baranowski - LB
Greg Johnson - OL
Jon Nestor - DB
Kerry Brown - S
Nathan Roy - OL
Anthony Smith - DL
Karter Menz - DL
Darius Taylor - RB
Javaon Tracy - WR
Tony Nelson - OL
Nate Cleveland - LB
Jaxon Howard - DL
Emmanuel Karmo - LB
Ashton Beers - OL
 
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LeftofThaDial said:
Yes, but no one seems to know what his status is
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He was on the injury report up until the most recent game I believe. Wasn't on the injury report but also didn't participate in the game.
 

MNVCGUY said:
He was on the injury report up until the most recent game I believe. Wasn't on the injury report but also didn't participate in the game.
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He posts clips on social media of him out jogging, he also seems to be back at Penn St. with his wife a lot. From the outside it doesn’t seem like he’s around the program much. He did seem to have some quickness in the little he played.
 


LeftofThaDial said:
He posts clips on social media of him out jogging, he also seems to be back at Penn St. with his wife a lot. From the outside it doesn’t seem like he’s around the program much. He did seem to have some quickness in the little he played.
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Still on the official roster and they are pretty quick to remove guys when they leave so would assume he is still on the team until something comes out otherwise.
 

MNVCGUY said:
Still on the official roster and they are pretty quick to remove guys when they leave so would assume he is still on the team until something comes out otherwise.
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Yes I know, I said that in an earlier post.
 

Bumping the thread because we may start to hear things more now even though the portal window isn't open until January.

Also added a spot for guy retiring early based on a couple of guys who walked on senior day even though they could come back next year.
 

added Tripp and created a spot to add guys who announce they are coming back.
 




MNVCGUY said:
Bumping the thread because we may start to hear things more now even though the portal window isn't open until January.

Also added a spot for guy retiring early based on a couple of guys who walked on senior day even though they could come back next year.
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I was looking at Becker on the roster earlier this year and couldn’t figure out how he would have 2 years left. He’s a redshirt Senior.
 

LeftofThaDial said:
I was looking at Becker on the roster earlier this year and couldn’t figure out how he would have 2 years left. He’s a redshirt Senior.
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Gave up on trying to make sense of eligibility a few years ago. Just go with what they publish assuming they have a better handle on it :)
 




Added McGrath and Redding
 



MNVCGUY said:
Official portal window still a little ways off but names have started to pop up around the country so figured it was time to start this annual thread.

Transfers In:

Transfers Out: 5
Tre Berry - RB - TBD
Reese Tripp - OL - TBD
Caleb McGrath - P - TBD
Quentin Redding - WR - TBD
Kenric Lanier - WR - TBD

Leaving Early for NFL: 1
Anthony Smith - DL - (not official)

Retiring From Football with Eligibilty Left: 2
Nate Becker - DL - (not official)
Spencer Alvarez - OL - (not official)

Announced they are Coming Back - (will do my best with this one)
Jalen Smith - WR
AJ Turner - RB
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Maybe add the "Out of Eligibility" piece? That's the biggest number in terms of roster turnover.
 

Gophergrandpa said:
Maybe add the "Out of Eligibility" piece? That's the biggest number in terms of roster turnover.
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Don't really see the need for that because all someone has to do is pull up the roster to see the guys that are out of eligibility. There was someone that used to do a parallel thread that laid out the classes but think he stopped doing it because eligibility has gotten so convoluted and hard to track.
 

2025 transfer Mo Omondoe's status? He didn't walk, it looks like, but he only had one year of eligibility. Medical waiver for another year?
 


Gophergrandpa said:
2025 transfer Mo Omondoe's status? He didn't walk, it looks like, but he only had one year of eligibility. Medical waiver for another year?
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It appears that he played full seasons in each of his three years at Purdue (2022-24) and I don't think he played at all this year. If that's all correct, he could count 2025 as a redshirt year and he would still have one more year to play.
 

Gophergrandpa said:
Depth WR has two agents? Someday college football will rationalize again. But it will be a while.
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theyre the pres and VP of something called GSE worldwide. they have quite a few athletes across all levels like Jessica Pegula (tennis), Dechambeau (golf), JJ Spaun (golf), Ace Bailey (NBA) and a bunch of college athletes such that Lanier isn't even listed on their website.
 


Gophergrandpa said:
2025 transfer Mo Omondoe's status? He didn't walk, it looks like, but he only had one year of eligibility. Medical waiver for another year?
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He never used his redshirt if I read his bio correctly. He played 2022, 2023, and 2024 at Purdue. So he could be coming back as a RedShirt Senior next year. He should have a year to still play. Was he ever listed on injury reports?
 

Lanier leaving sucks but Fleck mentioned Nuke in the signing day presser and with them trying to get that WR that ended up at KSU I think it was clear they’re going to add more to that room in the portal
 


2nd Degree Gopher said:
It appears that he played full seasons in each of his three years at Purdue (2022-24) and I don't think he played at all this year. If that's all correct, he could count 2025 as a redshirt year and he would still have one more year to play.
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Good point.
 

Kollock is on the move.

Makes sense with Lindsey being a star but I think Kollock could be just as good as Drake one day
 

Gopher_Devil said:
Kollock is on the move.

Makes sense with Lindsey being a star but I think Kollock could be just as good as Drake one day
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Is there a link?

Wouldn't be shocking with the way QBs move around but unfortunate. On the plus side if Kollock is moving on it makes it seem highly likely that Drake has no intention of leaving.
 


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