Penn State lands top-rated linebacker Campbell out of transfer portal

James Franklin practically put out a public call for linebackers in the transfer portal at the end of spring practice.

It didn’t take long for the Penn State coach to land perhaps the top player available.

Former North Carolina standout Amare Campbell and his agency announced Tuesday that he will be transferring to Penn State, helping bolster a position that was in need of a boost for a team that has national title aspirations this season.

Campbell played two seasons for the Tar Heels and has two years of eligibility left. He had a breakthrough sophomore campaign in Chapel Hill, racking up 76 tackles, 10.5 for loss and 6.5 sacks.

With a relatively diluted talent pool in the portal during the spring period — most of the impactful transfers come in the winter — Campbell was ranked the top available transfer player in the On3 Industry Rankings.

Regardless, the Nittany Lions were looking for a ready-to-play prospect at the position, especially after losing Ta’Mere Robinson to Big Ten rival USC last month.

“We’re not a big portal team, but we’re going to have to address some issues,” Franklin said after April’s Blue-White Game. “So if there is a linebacker out there that wants to come and be a part of our program and play for LBU, the most historic linebacker program in the history of college football, there’s an opportunity here to join the room and compete. So we will look at that.

“I think we got enough in the room, but to get through an entire season if we get some injuries, it could get challenging. So we’re going to look at the portal and see if we could find a solution.”

Campbell appears to fit the bill, joining returning starters Tony Rojas and Dominic DeLuca. Under new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, the Lions are likely to have two linebackers on the field more often than three, but there will be matchups where that might not be the case — an October trip to Iowa comes to mind.