CJ Holmes may be done with Penn State football, but he’s not done facing Penn State football. Probably.
Earlier this month, Holmes placed his name into the NCAA transfer database. Two weeks later, the defensive back took to Twitter to announce his commitment to Kent State.
The move to the Golden Flashes continues an up-and-down collegiate career for the player.
Holmes was originally a four-star 2017 signee at Notre Dame. He ran for 32 yards in the regular season as a true freshman… then the off-field issue hit.
Holmes was arrested for shoplifting in December of 2017 and was subsequently suspended from Notre Dame’s bowl game. That suspension ultimately gave way to the dismissal from the football program nearly a month later. In July of 2018, he transferred into the Penn State football program as a walk-on.
After sitting out the 2018 campaign — and switching from running back to safety — Holmes appeared in eight games this past season.
It’s unclear if Holmes will be leaving the Nittany Lions as a graduate. If so, he’ll have two years of eligibility he can begin using immediately. If not, he’d have to sit out 2020 at an FBS school. That would leave him a year to use in 2021.
Holmes is at least the third Power Five transfer to move on to Kent this cycle. In March, it was Nebraska cornerback Tony Butler. Earlier this month, it was Syracuse linebacker Juan Wallace.
Kent State is coming off just its fifth bowl-eligible football season in the past four decades. The Golden Flashes also captured their first-ever bowl win following the 2019 regular season.
