Penn State Sanctions: PSU Linebacker Khairi Fortt Headed to California, According to Reports

Jul 31, 2012 01:26 PM EDT

Regardless of what he decides, Silas Redd won't be the first Penn State player from Connecticut to leave the embattled Nittany Lions program for the Pac-12, according to reports.

Junior linebacker Khairi Fortt, one of the top players identified as a possible transfer from Penn State in the wake of last week's NCAA sanctions, has decided to transfer to the University of California, according to a report from Ryan Gorcey of Yahoo! Sports, who posted the information to his Twitter account on Tuesday afternoon.

The post on Gorcey's account (@RGBearTerritory) read, "SOURCE: Khairi Fortt has decided to transfer from #Penn State to #Cal."

Fortt, a native of Stamford, Conn., played in every game for Penn State last year, finishing the season with 33 tackles (six for loss) and 2.5 sacks. He made 17 tackles, including one for loss, as a freshman in 2010. He would join a Cal linebacker corps that is short on experience, with just two seniors (Robert Mullins and J.P. Hurrell) and two juniors (Dan Camporeale and Steven Fauna) among the 18 players listed at the position.

Under the terms of the NCAA sanctions - which include a four-year bowl game ban and a loss of scholarships for Penn State - any current or incoming Nittany Lions player is allowed to transfer to another institution with immediate athletic eligibility. Safety Tim Buckley became the first player to take that option on Monday when he transferred to his hometown school, North Carolina State.

Meanwhile, Redd - who ran for 1,241 yards and seven touchdowns as a sophomore last season - is expected to meet with Penn State head coach Bill O'Brien on Tuesday afternoon following his weekend visit to USC. Redd is believed to be strongly leaning toward a transfer, although O'Brien will have the chance to convince Redd to stay.

If Gorcey's report is accurate, however, that ship has already sailed with Fortt.

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