Report: Penn State Redshirt Junior Safety C.J. Holmes Enters Transfer Portal

According to Blue White Illustrated, redshirt junior safety C.J. Holmes has entered the NCAA transfer portal.

Holmes was originally recruited out of high school by the Nittany Lions during the 2017 recruiting cycle. However, Holmes would choose Notre Dame over the Penn State. But after he was dismissed from the Fighting Irish program after just one season, he transferred to Penn State.

After sitting out due to transfer rules in 2018 Holmes played in nine games for the Nittany Lions in 2019. His action came on special teams and during garbage time on defense and he recorded two tackles.

Entering 2020 Holmes was looking like a special teams contributor. While he is a good athlete, the road to playing time at safety was blocked by the likes of Jaquan Brisker, Lamont Wade, Trent Gordon, Jonathan Sutherland, and Tyler Rudolph. Now, he will look to play his 2020 season elsewhere.

Holmes transferred to Penn State as a walk on. While there was a lot of belief that he would eventually be put on scholarship, that never happened. So, his transfer will not impact Penn State’s scholarship number which still sits at 86, one above the NCAA limit.

We wish C.J. all the best in his future endeavors!