Former Penn State quarterback Jaxon Smolik is transferring to Temple, he announced on social media on Saturday. He has two years of eligibility remaining.

Smolik was initially a three-star recruit out of Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines, being ranked as the No. 36 quarterback and No. 8 player from Iowa in the Class of 2023, according to the 247Sports Composite. He initially committed to Tulane in June 2022, but Penn State was able to flip his commitment two months later.

Smolik spent his Penn State career buried in a depth chart behind established starter Drew Allar, future Missouri quarterback Beau Pribula, and Ethan Grunkemeyer. He played in just one game as a true freshman in the team’s blowout victory over Delaware before missing the entire 2024 season due to injury.

Returning as a redshirt sophomore in 2025, he lost the backup quarterback job to Grunkemeyer in camp, a battle that ultimately led to Grunkemeyer making the final seven starts of the season for the team. In the first game after Allar’s season-ending ankle injury, Smolik was used in the Pribula wildcat role against Iowa for his first game action in two years, registering four carries for three yards until leaving the game with an apparent wrist injury.

That wrist injury would sideline Smolik for the rest of the season, as wide receiver Liam Clifford became Grunkemeyer’s emergency backup. He entered the transfer portal following the Pinstripe Bowl.

He joins tight end Joey Schlaffer as the second Penn State plater to transfer to Temple in this cycle. Smolik and Schlaffer will face the Nittany Lions in Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday, September 12.