Penn State Football: Silas Redd Announces Transfer to USC

After meeting with USC head coach Lane Kiffin, recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron and running backs coach Kennedy Polamalu, Penn State running back Silas Redd contemplated the options before him for the 2012 season.

With the weekend visit with prospective suitors over, Redd was to meet with head coach Bill O'Brien on Tuesday afternoon to apprise him of the decision.

Redd made the announcement to leave the university on Tuesday afternoon, first confirming his decision with ESPN's Joe Schad, as reported by Dustin Hockensmith of the Patriot-News.

“We have weighed the pros and cons of staying at Penn State and leaving Penn State, attending USC and not attending USC, and I can honestly say that, ultimately, this decision is about so much more than football,” said Redd in a prepared statement sent to media outlets.

The 5'10", 200-pound tailback is a junior, but many anticipate that should he have another prolific season, as he did in 2011 (1,241 yards, seven touchdowns), he may declare early for the NFL draft.

Among the first casualties of the Penn State sanctions was safety Tim Buckley, a walk-on who had been a redshirt freshman last season. As such, he will retain four years of collegiate eligibility with his new team, North Carolina State.

Per the Huffington Post:

"The opportunity to come here and play at my state university," said Buckley via a prepared statement, "so close to home, was something that I couldn't pass up."

Quarterback Rob Bolden has also left the program, reportedly heading to LSU. Bolden was to be in a quarterback duel with Matt McGloin for the starting spot this season, and his transfer would appear to make him the backup to LSU's starting quarterback, Zach Mettenberger.

The Redd announcement comes on the heels of a Penn State fan "rally" earlier in the day in which players, fans and alumni showed support for the team and the university while a pep band played,\ and classic quotes from notable leaders such as Winston Churchill, Thomas Paine and Vince Lombardi were displayed.

According to a CBS Sports article, fullback Michael Zordich was upbeat about the event.

"It was so cool," said Zordich about the show of fan support. "I couldn't believe how loud it was. This just goes to show why we're still here and why we're going to fight this thing through."