BY GREG PICKEL | gpickel@pennlive.com

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Penn State head coach James Franklin gets his team ready to take the field before the start of the Citrus Bowl on Jan. 1, 2019. Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com

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Penn State's scholarship table math is always a guessing game, as the program does not release its numbers publicly.

Adding to the complication of tracking where the Lions are in their pursuit of 85 scholarship counters is the NCAA's new transfer portal, which is a database that allows players across the country to signal their intent to look into another program.

Once a player's name is in it, other schools can contact the player, and according to The Athletic, it also allows the original school to cancel the player's scholarship. It does not mean he must transfer, though, as a player can add his name to and then pull it out of the portal, but as noted, he's not guaranteed to have a scholarship still waiting for him at his first school, which is why most players who enter their name will end up transferring.

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Eight Penn State players have reportedly put their name into the database since the start of 2019 so that the can freely seek an alternative: Safeties Lamont Wade and Ayron Monroe, linebacker Dae'lun Darian, corner Zech McPhearson, tight end Danny Dalton, tackle Alex Gellerstedt, and receivers Juwan Johnson and Brandon Polk. The list is probably bigger, too, but it is who PennLive has been able to confirm for now.

Those players are in addition to safety Isaiah Humphries (Cal), reserve end Brelin Faison-Walden, and tackle Sterling Jenkins (Duquesne) who previously announced their intent to move on.

It's important to note that the transfer rules have not changed in college football, which means that, if a player is not a graduate and/or cannot prove a NCAA-approved hardship as the reason for his transfer, then he must sit out a year at his new school.

Johnson, Polk, Monroe, and McPhearson are all expected to be graduate transfers and thus will be immediately eligible in 2019 at a new school, while Wade, if he does decide to move on, will almost certainly have to sit out a year. It's unclear whether or not Gellerstedt, Darian, or Dalton are on track to graduate this spring.

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Assuming all of the transfer portal entries move on, it means the Lions will have even more scholarship space than expected in 2019 and beyond as they look to add to their 18-member signing class in this cycle while freeing up space to land more prospects in future classes. We've deleted the entries off of PennLive's unofficial Penn State 2019 projected scholarship chart for now and will add them back should any decide to stay, which there is precedent for, in a way, as quarterback Tommy Stevens assessed his options but stuck around last season even though there was no transfer portal at the time.

It's worth noting, too, that additional names could be added to the portal-entry list, as there is no deadline to do so.

With all that said, here's a look at the projected scholarship chart as of Jan. 15, 2019.

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Quarterback: 5

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Tommy Stevens, Sean Clifford, Will Levis, Ta’Quan Roberson, and Michael Johnson Jr., round out the program's quarterback room heading into spring practice.

Stevens is the leader in the clubhouse to replace Trace McSorley, but consistent injury problems ensure he won't just be handed the job, as Clifford will compete hard for it.

As for the scholarship number, five is exactly the number head coach James Franklin wants in his program at any given time.

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Penn State quarterback Tommy Stevens talks with offensive coordinator Ricky Rahne during practice on Sept. 5, 2018. Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com

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Running back: 4

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Journey Brown, Ricky Slade, Noah Cain, and Devyn Ford will compete for the right to replace Miles Sanders' carries this fall.

The battle starts this spring with Brown, Slade, and Cain before Ford arrives in June. Slade, entering his sophomore year, should earn the first team reps when practice begins.

Penn State will look for one or two additional backs in the 2020 cycle, and it should be noted that Notre Dame transfer CJ Holmes, who is believed to be a walk-on, will probably be in the mix as well after sitting out a year.

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Wide receiver: 7

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Cam Sullivan-Brown, K.J. Hamler, Mac Hippenhammer, Jahan Dotson, Daniel George, Justin Shorter, and John Dunmore round out the Lions' receivers room this fall barring an addition before signing day on Feb. 6.

Juwan Johnson and Brandon Polk deciding to transfer leaves Sullivan-Brown, a redshirt sophomore in 2019, as the program's oldest receiver for now. It's not necessarily a bad thing, as Hamler and Dotson especially played huge roles in 2018, but it is notable just how young first-year coach Gerad Parker's group is entering spring practice.

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Penn State wide receiver KJ Hamler goes for a long gain during the second quarter of the Citrus Bowl on Jan. 1, 2019. Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com

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Tight end: 5

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Jonathan Holland, Nick Bowers, Zach Kuntz, Pat Freiermuth, and Brenton Strange are among the returners in Tyler Bowen's room this year.

Freiermuth will likely be a preseason All-Big Ten pick after his big freshman season that included a team-high eight touchdown catches. Holland and Bowers all played some snaps, as well, and Kuntz could be in line to contribute this year, too, after adding weight as a redshirt freshman. Strange figures to follow a similar bulking-up path this fall.

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Offensive line: 11

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Center: Michal Menet, Juice Scruggs

Guard: Steven Gonzalez, Mike Miranda, Des Holmes, Bryce Effner, Caedan Wallace, and Saleem Wormley.

Tackle: Will Fries, Rasheed Walker, Anthony Whigan

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Steven Gonzalez (74) is Penn State's lone returning starting guard. Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com

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Penn State offensive line coach Matt Limegrover has his work cut out for him entering the 2019 season, as the Lions have holes to fill up front.

Steven Gonzalez passed on a chance to leave early for the NFL Draft to return and play one final season inside for PSU, and Michal Menet is back to line up beside him at center while Will Fries is expected to start at one tackle spot.

It leaves a guard and tackle spot left to fill, as Connor McGovern and Ryan Bates are both headed to the pros. Mike Miranda will be the favorite to fill the open guard spot, while redshirt freshman Rasheed Walker and junior college transfer Anthony Whigan will duke it out for the tackle job if Gellerstedt does indeed move on.

Penn State hopes to address this position group before Signing Day, namely by targeting Ohio State commit Doug Nester, who is 6-foot-6 and likely a tackle at the next level. PSU must flip him, though, and that's no guarantee.

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Penn State offensive lineman Mike Miranda during Citrus Bowl practice on Dec. 30, 2018. Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com

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Defensive end: 7

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Penn State has a mixture of veterans and young guns at the defensive end spot, as the breakdown looks like this:

Shaka Toney, Shane Simmons, Daniel Joseph, Yetur Gross-Matos, Jayson Oweh, Nick Tarburton, and Adisa Isaac.

Gross-Matos is guaranteed to start but a replacement is needed for Shareef Miller, who is leaving for the NFL. Toney has added some weight but it's unclear if he can be a three-down end or if he's best used as a specialized speed rusher. It's a big offseason for both Simmons and Joseph, who are both veterans angling for their first starting job. Oweh flashed a lot of potential and will be in the rotation at worst, as well, while Tarburton could eventually move to tackle. Isaac could possibly play in a backup role like Oweh did in 2018.

Smith Vilbert, a three-star end from New Jersey, is the prospect the Lions are still targeting in the Class of 2019.

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Penn State defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos greets fans as the team arrives for the Citrus Bowl on Jan. 1, 2019. Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com

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Defensive tackle: 10

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Penn State loses starter Kevin Givens to the pros, but it returns a fair amount inside while adding Hakeem Beamon thus far. The tackle breakdown looks like this:

Robert Windsor, Damion Barber, Ellison Jordan, Antonio Shelton, Fred Hansard, C.J. Thorpe, P.J. Mustipher, Judge Culpepper, Aeneas Hawkins, and Hakeem Beamon.

Windsor will to start in 2019, while Barber must take a big step forward to be in the rotation. Jordan has to get healthy to make an impact, while Shelton could be the starter opposite Windsor.

Hansard recently shared positive news about his injury recovery after hurting his foot in 2018, but it's unclear when he'll be ready to return to action. Mustipher's floor is the second-team after a strong first season, while Culpepper and Hawkins will have their first chance to crack the lineup after each took a redshirt year. Beamon should redshirt this fall.

Two priority targets remain on the board in this cycle, as Maryland four-star D'Von Ellies will pick between the Lions and USC this Saturday while New York three-star Jared Harrison-Hunte could wait until February to decide. The Lions seem to be trailing in that recruitment, though.

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Linebacker: 9

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Koa Farmer had graduated, but Penn State's linebacker corps returns mostly in tact and adds five-star Brandon Smith and four-star Lance Dixon, who are both already on campus. The linebacker scholarship chart includes in its totality:

Jarvis Miller, Jan Johnson, Cam Brown, Ellis Brooks, Micah Parsons, Jesse Luketa, Charlie Katshir, Lance Dixon, and Brandon Smith.

Johnson should star again inside but he'll be pushed by Brooks and Luketa, while Parsons should start outside opposite Brown. Miller will serve a backup role and, while unlikely, he could be slid back to safety, his original position, as the Lions are light on bodies there. It would also not be a surprise if he checked into the transfer portal to see what's out there. Time will tell.

Katshir, after a redshirt year, should see at least special teams work, while Smith and Dixon will fight for year-one reps just like Parsons did, and they are expected to earn some.

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Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons tackles Kentucky running back Benny Snell Jr. during the fourth quarter of the Citrus Bowl on Jan. 1, 2019. Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com

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Secondary: 13

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Corner: John Reid, Donovan Johnson, D.J. Brown, Tariq Castro-Fields, Trent Gordon, Keaton Ellis, Joey Porter Jr., and Marquis Wilson.

Safety: Garrett Taylor, John Petrishen, Jonathan Sutherland, Tyler Rudolph, and Jaquan Brisker.

Reid, Johnson, and Castro-Fields should be the Nittany Lions' three marquee corners in 2019, and it won't be a surprise if Gordon earns some reps. The freshmen could, too, but they are more likely to see limited reps while preserving a year of eligibility by playing in four games or less.

Taylor will occupy one safety spot, and if forced to make a pick today, it'd be a true toss up between Sutherland and Brisker for the other job.

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Special teams: 2

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Jake Pinegar will be back as Penn State's placekicker in 2019 while Blake Gillikin will spend a final season punting in State College.

The Lions must take a scholarship punter in the Class of 2020, and it wouldn't be a shock to see them poke around the scholarship kicker market, too. Depth is key.

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Penn State kicker Jake Pinegar.

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Final numbers and thoughts

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Based on the numbers seen above, here's the breakdown:

Offense: 32

Defense: 39

Special teams: 2

Total: 73

The Lions will obviously add some more pieces in the Class of 2019 and may not lose all of the players they expect to, but either way, it's hard to envision the program using all 85 scholarships this fall, even if they add a few walk-ons to that roster.

Once the final transfer numbers are in along with the full Class of 2019 signee list, it will be easier to project how big the Classes of 2020 and beyond can be, but it's safe to say that they will be bigger than originally expected due to the higher than normal number of expected transfers.

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