Penn State suffers its first official transfer

Penn State has suffered its first official defection from its 2012 roster, as Tim Buckley decided Monday to return home and play at N.C. State.

The safety from Raleigh, who was listed as a backup on the Nittany Lions' depth chart, will have four years of eligibility remaining after walking on at Penn State, where he eventually netted a scholarship. He will be on scholarship with the Wolfpack as well.

The 6-foot, 202-pounder, who starred as a running back and was recruited by N.C. State out of high school, will be able to play immediately. He'll add depth to a secondary that returns all four starters, including safeties Earl Wolff and Brandon Bishop.

N.C. State begins practice for the 2012 season on Tuesday.

Of course, Nittany Lions head coach Bill O'Brien is still unsure how his roster will shape out this fall, as running back Silas Redd has been wooed by USC and could decide to become a Trojan at any time, while backup quarterback Rob Bolden could be headed to LSU.

Email dave.miller@nationalfootballpost.com or follow me on Twitter at Miller_Dave

Upcoming Games