When the Penn State Nittany Lions take on the Ohio State Buckeyes this fall, a pair of former UNC football teammates will take the field as opponents.
Beau Atkinson committed to Ohio State earlier in the offseason, providing a tremendous pass rush addition to the Buckeyes' defensive unit. Now, Amare Campbell has followed the trend, committing to another Big Ten College Football Playoff contender: Penn State.
One of the best linebackers available in the transfer portal, Campbell is a major addition for the Nittany Lions. He's coming off a stellar sophomore year, one in which he finished the season with 72 tackles to go along with 6.5 sacks. Additionally, he was also credited with 22 quarterback pressures, providing a consistent presence in the opposing team's backfield.
Campbell flirted with the idea of transferring following the conclusion of the 2024 season, but ultimately decided to return for spring practices. Following the end of spring practices, Campbell once again entered his name into the portal, as he made visits to both SMU and Penn State before ultimately deciding to take his talents to Happy Valley.
While this is a huge loss for the UNC football program, you can't blame Campbell for making this move. Heading into his junior season, Campbell is looking to not only get the most exposure possible from NFL organizations but aims to compete for a national title, both of which Penn State can provide.
Coming off a trip to the 2024 College Football Playoff Semifinals, the Nittany Lions return star quarterback Drew Allar and are poised to make another deep postseason run. Adding a player of Campbell's caliber on the defensive side of the football simply adds to the expectations for Penn State leading up to the 2025 college football season.