Another member of Penn State’s defense will not be back in Happy Valley next season.

Linebacker Jarvis Miller announced he’s leaving the Nittany Lions to finish his college football career at UMass-Amherst as a graduate transfer on Saturday afternoon.

“The past 4 years have been the most amazing experience that a young man could possibly ask for,” Miller said. “First and foremost I want to thank Coach Franklin for giving a 16 year old kid from Suffield, Connecticut an opportunity to play major college football at the highest level.”

Miller played in 11 games in the 2018 season, making eight tackles and one stop for a loss of yardage. He finishes his Penn State career with 23 total tackles and a sack while seeing the field on special teams and in a reserve role on defense.

The backup linebacker joins a long list of Nittany Lions who are leaving the program this offseason. That list includes wide receivers Juwan Johnson and Brandon Polk, safety Lamont Wade, cornerback Zech McPhearson, and safety Ayron Monroe. Penn State has submitted 11 players’ names into the NCAA’s new transfer portal, a number that leads the nation.

Barring any more transfer portal madness, Penn State’s starters at the linebacker position will likely be Cam Brown, Jan Johnson, and Micah Parsons next season, leaving little opportunity for a player like Jarvis Miller to see the field consistently.

About the Author

Mikey Mandarino

In the most upsetting turn of events, Mikey graduated from Penn State with a digital & print journalism degree in the spring of 2020. He covered Penn State football and served as an editor for Onward State from 2018 until his graduation. Mikey is from Bedminster, New Jersey, so naturally, he spends lots of time yelling about all the best things his home state has to offer. Mikey also loves to play golf, but he sucks at it because golf is really hard. If you, for some reason, feel compelled to see what Mikey has to say on the internet, follow him on Twitter @Mikey_Mandarino. You can also get in touch with Mikey via his big-boy email address: michael.p.mandarino@gmail.com

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