Penn State WR Mac Hippenhammer transfers to Miami (OH)

Former Penn State wide receiver Mac Hippenhammer is slated to become “MAC” Hippenhammer.

After donning the blue and white for the Nittany Lions in 2018 and 2019, the Fort Wayne, IN native will join the Mid-American Conference and likely finish his college career with the Miami RedHawks. Hippenhammer addressed his transfer destination in a tweet on Wednesday morning.

According to NBC Sports, Hippenhammer’s eligibility is determined by whether he joins Miami as a grad transfer. If so, he will have two years of eligibility remaining. If he is not a graduate transfer, Hippenhammer will sit out the 2020 season and play his senior campaign in 2021.

Hippenhammer participated in four games last year for Penn State. He returned two fourth quarter punts for 13 yards in the Nittany Lions’ 79-7 win over Idaho in his team’s opener. The 5’11” receiver also caught a first down pass for 15 yards in Penn State’s November victory over Indiana. He played a larger role in James Franklin’s offense as a redshirt freshman in 2018 — starting one game, catching six passes for 113 yards, and hauling in an 11-yard touchdown on his first-career reception in a rivalry game versus Pittsburgh.

Coming out of R. Snider High School in Indiana, Hippenhammer was labeled a 3-star recruit by major recruiting outlets such as ESPN and 247Sports. He redshirted his freshman season at Penn State in 2017. In addition to lacing up on Saturdays, Hippenhammer played on the Nittany Lions’ baseball team. Per GoPSUSports.com, he hit .272 in eight games as an outfielder during the 2019 baseball season.

Hippenhammer’s most recent baseball game on March 12 was a duel against the Miami RedHawks. As a starting shortstop, he recorded three putouts against his future college, but Miami defeated Penn State, 5-1. The majority of the 2020 college baseball season was canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak, and the NCAA granted athletes of spring sports an extra year of eligibility, which allows Hippenhammer an extra year to play baseball.

In addition to potentially joining the baseball program in Oxford, Hippenhammer will join Chuck Martin’s reigning MAC champion squad on the gridiron. Each of the RedHawks’ top three wide receivers from the prolific 2019 season are set to make a return in 2020. Jack Sorenson led the unit with 44 receptions and 568 yards, while James Maye caught 20 passes for 506 yards and Jalen Walker added 24 and 418.

If Hippenhammer is eligible and the college football season continues as originally scheduled, he’ll make his Miami debut against a familiar opponent and former rival as the RedHawks visit Pittsburgh on September 5.