After entering the transfer portal, Davon Townley is back at Penn State: ‘Expect big things’

Drew Shelton was asked last week if there’s a defensive lineman on Penn State’s roster — someone from his 2022 recruiting class or maybe a year or two older — that has impressed him since the summer. The offensive tackle didn’t hesitate.

“Obviously you guys know about Dani,” Shelton said of Dani Dennis-Sutton, the five-star edge rusher who played in all 13 games, logged three sacks and was named an ESPN true freshman All-American. “We battle every day. It’s always a fight.”

Then, Shelton paused briefly before offering another, more surprising name.

“I also have to say Davon Townley,” Shelton said.

Ears perked up around Shelton’s roundtable during last week’s media availability with the 2022 first-year players. That’s because Townley almost left Penn State.

Townley entered the transfer portal in early December. After two seasons with the Nittany Lions — redshirting in 2021 and making three tackles in seven games in 2022 — the former four-star defensive end decided to seek out a new opportunity.

Over the next few weeks, Townley was a free agent. Within a couple days of entering the portal, he fielded offers from South Florida, Houston and Colorado. They saw what Penn State, Kentucky, Oregon and a host of Power Five programs saw in the 2021 recruiting cycle: a raw but rangy 6-foot-6 pass rusher with potential.

But Townley wasn’t lured to Boulder by Deion Sanders. He wasn’t wooed by Houston or South Florida. On Jan. 13, a few days before the portal closed to new FBS entrants, Townley confirmed to 247 Sports that he was returning to Penn State.

Townley reportedly had “a change of heart” while in the portal. It’s a rare occurrence; the only other time that happened at Penn State was Lamont Wade’s waffling in January 2019. But it is allowed, and, in this case, it’s to the Nittany Lions’ benefit.

Franklin wasn’t asked about Townley during his press conference last week. He was busy answering questions about new wide receivers coach Marques Hagans, new 2023 signee Chimdy Onoh and a host of new transfer additions. But Shelton made it clear that he was happy to see Townley leave the portal and come back.

“He’s a guy that gave me fits throughout the year sometimes,” Shelton said. “He’s strong off the edge. He’s got a good bull rush, good with his hands. He can really do whatever he wants to do.”

Despite giving Shelton all he could handle in practice, it doesn’t look like Townley will be repping off the edge as spring ball approaches. Townley, who was signed as a defensive end, is now listed as a defensive tackle.

Moving inside should give Townley more of a chance to get on the field with Penn State loaded at defensive end. Chop Robinson, Adisa Isaac and Dennis-Sutton lead the group while Amin Vanover, Zuriah Fisher and Smith Vilbert provide depth.

Penn State isn’t weak inside. But P.J. Mustipher’s departure leaves Hakeem Beamon, Coziah Izzard, Dvon Ellies and Zane Durant as the group’s top returners. Izzard and Ellies are more equipped to fill Mustipher’s lane-clogging role while Townley could earn reps behind Beamon and Durant as an inside pass rusher.

The next couple months could go a long way in determining Townley’s standing in the defensive line room. Winter workouts are ongoing and spring camp is on the horizon. The portal opens back up in May for FBS players who might want to move on.

For now, though, Townley is a Nittany Lion — and an intriguing one, at that.

“He’s a skilled player,” Shelton said. “I expect big things out of him.”