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Utah defensive lineman Dallas Vakalahi commits to transfer to Penn State

On3 imageby: Dan Morrison01/08/26dan_morrison96

Utah Utes defensive lineman Dallas Vakalahi has committed to transfer to the Penn State Nittany Lions, On3 has learned. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

In some respects, landing Vakalahi was a major win for Penn State. Not only did the Nittany Lions land a talented transfer to bolster their defensive line, but they also kept him away from Michigan. Former Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham is now coaching in Ann Arbor and it’s fairly common for players to follow coaches. Instead, he ended up in Happy Valley, though.

Vakalahi played his high school football at West in Salt Lake City, Utah. There, he was a three-star recruit in the Class of 2022. He was also rated as the 1,208th-ranked player nationally and the 135th-ranked defensive lineman. Ultimately, he chose to go to Utah over offers from Stanford, Oregon State, and TCU.

Despite being a member of the Class of 2022, Vakalahi did not see the field until 2024. He went on a mission coming out of high school, accounting for that time.

In his two seasons at Utah, Vakalahi played in a total of 18 games. During that time, he would total 27 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for a loss and 2.0 sacks. During that time, he would make a total of five starts and was named to the Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team in 2024.

Penn State is coming off a difficult season. The Nittany Lions went just 6-6 in the regular season, firing head coach James Franklin midway through the year. They won the Pinstripe Bowl, but a year removed from making the College Football Playoff semifinals, it was a major letdown. Now, the Nittany Lions have turned to Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell.

In recent years, the defensive line has been a strength for Penn State. A season ago, Penn State finished tied for 30th nationally in sacks, grabbing 2.46 per game. They were 38th in tackles for a loss, with 6.08 per game. Next season, that unit is going to have a new look entirely. Already, Campbell has added four players either listed as defensive linemen or edge rushers from the Transfer Portal this cycle.

The Transfer Portal officially opened on January 2nd. It’s set to remain open through January 16th. So, there is plenty of time for more movement and change on the Penn State roster before next season.