Penn State adds Mississippi State punter transfer Nathan Tiyce

Penn State went from having no punters on its 2026 roster to having a pair in a matter of days. Incoming Navy All-American specialist Lucas Tenbrock arrived in Happy Valley to move in for the spring semester, and the Nittany Lions have also added a punter through the transfer portal. 

Former Mississippi State punter Nathan Tiyce visited Penn State on Friday, and BWI has learned that he will be joining the Nittany Lions for the spring. He’s enrolled at University Park and set to begin classes this week. 

The 6-foot-5, 230-pounder from Gerringong, Australia, was a 25-year-old freshman for the Bulldogs last season. A product of ProKick Australia, Tyice spent two years at Tocal College and five years working on a farm before coming to the United States last year. He played rugby for his local club, the Gerringong Lions, before suffering an injury. He then joined ProKick for a trial after discovering American Football and committed to Mississippi State just before Christmas in 2024. 

Tiyce was part of a battle for the starting job in Starkville in 2025, eventually losing the full-time gig to Ethan Pulliam. Pullium went on to average 46.76 yards per punt and earn a second-team All-American nod from The Sporting News. Tiyce was used in situational roles, mostly as a pooch punter. He punted 12 times for a 39-yard average with a long of 54. Of those 12, two went over 50 yards and seven ended up inside the 20-yard line. He had one touchback and five punts resulted in fair catches. 

Penn State set for reset at punter in 2026

With Gabe Nwosu and Riley Thompson both exhausting their eligibility after the 2025 season, Penn State will need to add two punters ahead of next fall. Tenbrock flipped to the Nittany Lions from Iowa State after Matt Campbell made the switch. He’s the No. 5 punter nationally according to the Rivals Industry rankings.

Despite his age, Tiyce is in a similar situation to Thompson’s at Penn State. He is still sophomore-eligible with three years left to play. He and Tenbrock will compete through the spring and into the preseason.