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Penn State defensive tackle Xavier Gilliam plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal

Greg Pickelby: Greg Pickel12/31/25GregPickel

Penn State defensive tackle Xavier Gilliam plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal, On3’s Hayes Fawcett reports. A former three-star recruit in the Class of 2024, he will have three seasons of eligibility remaining.

“Gilliam is expected to command interest from top market schools,” Fawcett reports.

That is no surprise, of course, to those who followed the Gaithersburg, Md., rise up the depth chart this season. After playing five games over a redshirt season last fall, Gilliam took snaps in all 13 games as a redshirt freshman. He totaled 15 tackles (two for loss) and a quarterback hurry in 2025. The defensive tackle was often more impactful than his stats indicate. His 409 snaps were behind only Zane Durant’s 476 at defensive tackle, per PFF. He projects to be a starter somewhere in 2026.

“He’s technically sound,” former Penn State defensive line coach Deion Barnes said earlier this year. “Plays with good, low pad levels. Powerful. He’s a powerful young man,” Barnes said of Gilliam. “He understands the blocks, can see things well, and he just does them things naturally to be able to make plays. Again, another young guy to be stacking days and doing things over and over again to build the trust and the consistency. So he’s a technician. He understands he relies on that. And then he uses athleticism at times to be a pass rusher, but he’s a technician in the run game.”

Gilliam is the first Penn State defensive tackle to declare his intent to enter the transfer portal since the Pinstripe Bowl.

Which Penn State players are planning to enter the NCAA transfer portal?

Here’s the up-to-date list as of 11:30 a.m. ET on Dec. 31:

TE Joey Schlaffer
OG Alex Birchmeier
WR Aaron Enterline
WR Anthony Ivey
QB Bekkem Kritza
CB Elliot Washington II
DE Chaz Coleman
CB AJ Harris
LB Kari Jackson
DE Daniel Jennings
DE Zuriah Fisher
LB Keon Wylie
WR Kaden Saunders
DT Xavier Gilliam

The transfer portal officially opens on Jan. 2. It runs through Jan. 16. Players do not need to pick their next school by that deadline. But they do have to delcare their intent to enter the portal by then.

Follow the latest Penn State portal, roster, and coaching staff developments on Wednesday with BWI! Click here to view our running live updates page to stay on top of the news at it breaks on the final day of 2025.