Penn State QB Bekkem Kritza plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal

Penn State quarterback Bekkem Kritza plans to enter his name into the NCAA transfer portal when it opens on Jan. 2, On3 reports.

A Class of 2025 prospect from Boulder, Col., Kritza emerged in 2021 when he showed promise as a freshman at Fairview High School. From there, he moved around a lot, transferring to Santa Margarita Catholic in California for his sophomore season in 2022, followed by Miami Central in South Florida in 2023.

However, after not earning the starting spot at Miami Central, Kritza went back to his hometown school, Fairview, to get reps during his junior season. It was that same fall that Kritza committed to Penn State, committing just days after former offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich was fired.

More: 3 thoughts on Penn State getting Anthony Donkoh back for the 2026 season

Kritza once again went back to Miami Central in 2024, and just like the previous year, didn’t earn the starting job. When nearby Chaminade-Madonna lost its starting quarterback early in the season, he transferred one last time to become their starting quarterback to finish out his senior season. He finished with 885 yards passing and 14 touchdowns.

“When you look at what he can do with the football, with not a ton of training, he doesn’t have a QB guy or anything like that. I think I told somebody once that he might have the best raw arm talent I’ve ever seen coming out of high school. Just throwing off-platform. He is such an unpolished gem, in my opinion,” said Penn State Director of Player Personnel Kenny Sanders after Kritza signed with Penn State in December 2024.

Unfortunately for Kritza, who stands at 6-foot-5, 195 pounds, his freshman season was riddled by injuries. The lack of reps made it difficult for him to learn the pace of the game. Now, following a coaching change, it makes sense for him to seek a fresh start with still four years of eligibility remaining.