Last week, Penn State football quarterback and fan-favorite Will Levis entered the dreaded transfer portal to pursue an opportunity at a different university.

Although the move benefits Levis personally, the personnel change leaves Penn State with dwindling depth at quarterback entering 2021. Currently, the Nittany Lions have just three scholarship quarterbacks on the current roster. One of them, Christian Veilleux, arrived on campus less than a month ago without playing a single game his senior year of high school.

This offseason, Penn State has already added five players from the transfer portal to bolster its roster. In order to give new offensive coordinator Mike Yurchich an added sense of security to the quarterback room, we picked some potential quarterback prospects in the portal who could fit right in at Penn State.

Alan Bowman, Texas Tech

After spending three seasons in Lubbock, the injury-prone gunslinger entered the transfer portal on January 25 to reboot his young career. Bowman previously thrived as a true freshman starter under Kliff Kingsbury in 2018 by throwing for 2,638 yards and 17 touchdowns in eight games.

Despite the hot start to his career, Bowman missed the final four games of his freshman campaign due to a collapsed lung. Unfortunately, injuries also hindered his sophomore season, as he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury early in the year, limiting him to less than three games of action in 2019.

More of the same occurred for Bowman in 2020. Despite passing for 1,596 yards on an injured lower leg, the Grapevine, Texas native was relieved of his starting duties following the Red Raiders’ loss at No. 24 Iowa State.

Despite being from Texas, Bowman is actually a Nittany Lion legacy. His father, Kirk, played tight end for Penn State’s 1982 national championship squad, making Alan an intriguing prospect for James Franklin and his staff. Happy Valley could provide Bowman with the perfect opportunity to blend his air-raid offensive roots with Yurchich’s up-tempo spread.

Jace Ruder, North Carolina

As a one-time Penn State target following the decommitment of Justin Fields, Ruder elected to sign with the Tar Heels late in the 2018 recruiting cycle. After sitting behind Nathan Elliot as a true freshman, Ruder was beaten out by emerging superstar Sam Howell entering 2019.

The progression of Howell under quarterback guru Mack Brown largely attributes to Ruder’s decision to leave Chapel Hill. Despite playing a limited number of snaps in a UNC uniform, Ruder’s physical intangibles make him a compelling prospect for Penn State. Standing at 6’3″, Ruder fits the mold of other successful Yurchich-coached signal-callers, including Mason Rudolph and Sam Ellinger.

Additionally, James Franklin’s already-established connection with Ruder should help the Nittany Lions gain traction during his second recruiting circuit. The dual-threat prospect fits the Penn State run-pass-option mold better than anyone in the portal by boasting a 4.46 40-yard dash time.

Luke McCaffrey, Nebraska

Following two tumultuous seasons in Lincoln, the former Husker elected to leave the struggling program in late January. The once four-star product was underutilized by Scott Frost and played a second-tier role to Adrian Martinez for most of his tenure.

To the dismay of Penn State fans, McCaffrey tallied his most impressive showing as a college quarterback against the Nittany Lions in 2020. In his first game as a starter, McCaffrey completed nearly 62% of his passes for 152 yards and a touchdown while averaging more than five yards per rush on the ground.

If McCaffrey turns his attention to Penn State, James Franklin could potentially find his long-term solution under center in the post-Sean Clifford era. With four years of eligibility remaining, the addition of McCaffrey would add a talented weapon to the long-term disposal of the offense.

Chris Robison, FAU

Robison, the dark horse candidate of the group, is seeking his third collegiate destination following his transfer request from Florida Atlantic. As a former four-star recruit from the coveted Allen High School in Texas, Robison was once labeled as a high-priority prospect by Mike Yurchich as Oklahoma State’s offensive coordinator in 2017.

Robison eventually chose the rival Oklahoma Sooners over the Cowboys but was dismissed from the program after one semester due to a violation of team rules.

The talented pro-style passer then united with Lane Kiffin at FAU, creating one of the most lethal player-coach combinations in Conference USA for two straight seasons. In 2019, his second season as a starter, Robison threw for a conference-leading 3,701 yards and 28 touchdowns. Additionally, Robison logged a mere six interceptions in 14 games.

If Penn State is able to accurately gauge Robison’s character, he could likely compete with Sean Clifford for the immediate starting job in 2021. The addition would be risky, but James Franklin’s recent win-now mentality could result in an unlikely pick-up like Robison.

With 132 quarterbacks in the transfer portal, it is nearly impossible to predict where each prospect will land prior to the start of spring ball.

The nature of college football is as dynamic as ever. Gone are the days of housing four high-level passers at a single school for multiple years at a time, no matter how healthy a program is as a whole.

If Penn State can land a suitable quarterback transfer to replace Will Levis under center in the shotgun, the addition will speak volumes regarding Franklin’s adaptation to college football’s recently implemented and ever-evolving model.