Penn State Football: Safety Ayron Monroe to Transfer

Penn State football safety Ayron Monroe announced on Tuesday afternoon his intention to transfer following the spring semester.

“I feel that in order to keep my mental in check and reach my full potential as a person and as a player I need to explore other options,” Monroe said on Twitter. “A change of scenery to keep my [fire] for the game of Football and life strong is a must.”

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— ~~╭∩╮（︶︿︶) ╭∩╮~~ (@ay_ronnyron) January 15, 2019

Monroe — who will graduate this spring and will have one year of eligibility — will leave Happy Valley after seeing the field on special teams and as a reserve safety behind players like Marcus Allen, Troy Apke, Nick Scott, and Garrett Taylor. He finishes his Penn State career with 40 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 2.5 tackles-for-loss, including 10 stops and a sack in the 2018 season.

In addition to Monroe, Penn State will lose backup cornerback Zech McPhearson at some point this offseason after he announced his plans to move away from Happy Valley. Fellow safety Lamont Wade’s name is in the NCAA’s new transfer portal, but he hasn’t made a formal announcement of his intention to leave Penn State yet.

Penn State has already lost safety Isaiah Humphries, who will continue his college football career at California, this offseason. Outside of the defensive backfield, wide receiver Juwan Johnson announced his plans to leave the team, and fellow wideout Brandon Polk entered the transfer portal along with Wade and McPhearson.

Linebackers Dae’lun Darien and Brelin Faison also won’t be back next season; they both decided to transfer so they can be close to their families.