Penn State linebacker Amare Campbell commits to Tennessee out of NCAA transfer portal

Penn State linebacker Amare Campbell has committed to Tennessee out of the NCAA transfer portal, On3 has learned. Campbell does so after spending just one year with the Nittany Lions.

Campbell transferred into Penn State after beginning his career at North Carolina. He spent two seasons with the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill.

At this point, Amare Campbell is one of the most productive defensive players to hit the transfer portal in this cycle. He’s been a monster on defense for the past two seasons.

This year, Campbell racked up an impressive 103 tackles, 9.5 tackles for a loss, 3.0 sacks, a fumble recovery, a pass breakup and a pass defended. That came after a season at North Carolina in 2024 in which Campbell was even more effective as a pass-rusher.

Campbell’s 2024 season, it could be argued, put him on the map for a transfer to a bigger program. He logged 76 tackles, 10.5 tackles for a loss, 6.5 sacks, a forced fumble, two pass breakups and two passes defended.

As a freshman, Amare Campbell played in 11 games with one start, recording 14 tackles, 2.0 tackles for a loss, a sack and an interception. In total in his college career, Campbell has played in 37 games, starting 27 of them.

Prior to enrolling at North Carolina, Amare Campbell was ranked as a three-star prospect and the No. 1,292 overall player in the class, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings. He also checked in as the No. 128 linebacker in the class and the No. 35 overall player from the state of Virginia, hailing from Manassas (VA) Unity Reed.

In high school, Campbell was named a team captain. He posted 130 tackles, 12.5 sacks, 30 TFL, five TDs and two blocked punts as a senior. He was named district defensive player of the year and first-team all-region.