The first player from Penn State men’s basketball’s Class of 2022 decided to head to a different program and leave Happy Valley behind.

Small forward Evan Mahaffey announced his commitment to Ohio State on Twitter Wednesday afternoon after weighing his options in the transfer portal.

First, I would like to thank God for this opportunity. Second, I want to thank Penn State and the amazing people that made my freshman year great! With that being said, I have decided to further my academic and athletic career at The Ohio State University! #BuckeyeNation pic.twitter.com/gVtlJBZ9Bs

— Evan Mahaffey (@EvanMahaffey5) May 3, 2023

“…I want to thank Penn State and the amazing people that made my freshman year so great!” Mahaffey said on Twitter.

Mahaffey entered the transfer portal on March 27, just three days after Notre Dame hired Micah Shrewsberry as its next head coach.

As a freshman, Mahaffey averaged 9.4 minutes, 2.8 points, and 1.7 rebounds per game, while shooting at a 56.9% clip from the field. The 6’6″ Cincinnati, Ohio, native proved to be a force off the bench and was one of the highest-contributing freshmen from the Class of 2022.

Mahaffey committed to Penn State in August 2021 as a three-star prospect over offers from Cincinnati, Xavier, West Virginia, and Kansas State, among others. He ranked as the sixth-overall recruit out of Ohio and the No. 42-ranked small forward nationally, according to 247Sports.

Mahaffey chose to transfer away from the Nittany Lions along with Caleb Dorsey and Dallion Johnson, who will begin their careers at William & Mary and Florida Gulf Coast, respectively. Mahaffey’s fellow Class of 2022 teammate Kebba Njie remains in the transfer portal for now, while Kanye Clary and Jameel Brown each announced their intentions to remain with Mike Rhoades and Company for another year.

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