UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - The Penn State football program has welcomed four transfers to campus: Johnny Dixon (University of South Carolina; Tampa, Fla.), Arnold Ebiketie (Temple University, Silver Spring, Md.), John Lovett (Baylor University; Burlington, N.J.) and Derrick Tangelo (Duke University; Gaithersburg, Md.). All four student-athletes have enrolled to the University and began the academic semester on Tuesday.
Biographies for the four enrollees are below:
JOHNNY DIXON • DB • 6-0 • 183 • SO. • TAMPA, FLA. • UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
2019-20 • SOUTH CAROLINA
Appeared in 10 games, making eight starts during sophomore year in 2020…Made 34 tackles (28 solo) with five pass breakups and a fumble recovery…Saw action in all 12 games making one start as a true freshman in 2019...Tallied three tackles including one tackle for loss, and one interception...Earned the starting nod at cornerback in the season opener against North Carolina...Tallied first career interception vs. Charleston Southern (9/7)…Named to the SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll.
HIGH SCHOOL
Played cornerback for Chamberlain High School in Tampa, Fla. for head coach Jason Lane, graduating in 2019...The Chiefs went 8-2 during the 2018 season...Was a varsity starter for four seasons...Logged 15 tackles and four pass break ups as a senior...Missed the majority of his junior campaign with a knee injury...Collected 102 career tackles with 14 pass break ups and three interceptions in 30 games...Rated as the 51st-best player in the Sunshine State, the nation's 45th-best cornerback and No. 435 overall, according to 247Sports.com.
PERSONAL
Full name is John J. Dixon…Son of Roger and Daphney Dixon…Born on January 31, 2001.
ARNOLD EBIKETIE • DE • 6-3 • 238 • RS JR. • SILVER SPRING, MD. • TEMPLE UNIVERSITY
2017-20 • TEMPLE
All-AAC second team honoree in 2020…Was named AAC Defensive Player of the Week (USF) ... Defensive Player of the game (Tulane, UCF)…Led Temple in tackles for loss (8.5), sacks (4), and forced fumbles (3) on the season…Made first career start in season opener at Navy, recording a tackle for loss, a forced fumble, and setting a new career-high in tackles (10)...Set a single-game high in tackles for loss (3.5) and put Temple up 32-31 with less than ten minutes left with an 11-yard scoop and score vs. USF…Ended the season tied for first in the conference in forced fumbles per game (0.5)… Appeared in 12 games in 2019…Tallied two sacks and two QB hurries… American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team selection…Appeared in one game in 2018…Redshirted in 2017…American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team honoree.
HIGH SCHOOL
Was a three-year letterwinner for Albert Einstein High in Kensington, Md., under head coach Mike Bonavia…As a senior, helped Einstein earn a 6-4 record while playing linebacker and wide receiver…Earned 2016 co-Defensive Player of the Year and first-team All-Sentinel honors…Awarded Washington Post All-Metro honorable mention in his senior year…Compiled 21.5 sacks, 36 tackles for loss, while logging 298 receiving yards and three TDs at the receiver position as a senior…Racked up 9.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss, three fumble recoveries, three pass deflections, and two blocked field goals during junior year…Also played basketball and averaged 9.7 rebounds and 6.5 points in career as a power forward…Participated in high jump and sprints in track and field…Transferred from Richard Montgomery before his sophomore season.
PERSONAL
Full name is Arnold Kevin Ebiketie (pronounced ebb-uh-KAY-tee)…Parents are Jean Marie Ebiketie and Guy Susanne…Has two sisters, Nancy and Nelly, and a brother Yvan…Born in Yaounde, Cameroon.
JOHN LOVETT • RB • 6-0 • 205 • SR. • BURLINGTON, N.J. • BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
2017-20 • BAYLOR
Finished No. 16 all-time on Baylor's career rushing list with 1,803 yards...11th all-time at Baylor in yards per rushing attempt (5.07)…Started all five games he played in 2020, while missing three games due to injury…Ran the ball 45 times for 130 yards and a touchdown on the year, while also catching nine passes for 49 yards and a touchdown…Appeared in all 14 games in 2019, making eight starts…Finished with 655 rushing yards on 103 attempts with five touchdowns and averaged 6.4 yards per carry…Added eight receptions for 66 yards and returned five kicks for 104 yards...Appeared in 12 games, tallying three starts during sophomore year in 2018...Led the team in rushing with 573 yards on 109 carries (5.3 average) and six touchdowns ... Eclipsed the 1,000-yard career rushing mark in the Texas Bowl against Vanderbilt (12/27)…Rushed for a career-high 125 yards on 28 carries vs. Texas Tech (11/24)…As a freshman, played in 11 games, making four starts in 2017…Finished season with 98 rushes for 445 yards and five touchdowns ...Was tied for first among Big 12 freshmen running backs with the five rushing scores...With 161 rushing yards in first two games of season, had sixth best rushing start to season at Baylor since 2000.
HIGH SCHOOL
Played at Cherokee High School in Burlington, N.J. for head coach P.J. Mehigan... No. 1-ranked athlete prospect in New Jersey by Scout and No. 404 overall national recruit by 247Sports...National position ratings among athletes: No. 29 by 247Sports, No. 34 by Scout, No. 50 by Rivals, also ranked No. 68 among running backs by ESPN...Rankings among New Jersey prospects: No. 12 by Rivals, No. 13 by 247Sports, No. 25 by ESPN and No. 28 on NJ.com's Top 50...Two-time all-league defensive back ... Named to 2016 USA TODAY All-USA New Jersey second team and NJ.com second team all-state as defensive back as senior after helping Cherokee to playoffs...Earned 2016 first-team All-Group 5 honors as a defensive back and 2016 first-team WJFL American Division as a running back...Ran for 1,371 yards and 24 TDs on 178 carries as senior...Selected 2015 third-team All-Group 5 and first-team WJFL American Division as running back following junior season...Rushed for 1,307 yards and 13 TDs on 196 attempts...Ran for 403 yards and seven touchdowns on 72 carries as sophomore in 2014.
PERSONAL
Son of Eddie Lovett and Dawn Hilton.
DERRICK TANGELO • DT • 6-2 • 298 • SR. • GAITHERSBURG, MD. • DUKE UNIVERSITY
2017-20 • DUKE
Played in 45 career games (27 starts) at Duke, posting 114 tackles, 12.0 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, two QB pressures and a pass breakup…Posted 20 career games with three or more tackles…Started at defensive tackle in all 11 games in 2020 and posted a team-best three forced fumbles…Recorded 40 tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks, one QB pressure, one fumble recovery and one pass breakup…Registered a career-best three tackles for loss against Syracuse (10/10)…In 2019, played in 10 games, making five starts…Registered 23 tackles, two tackles for loss and one QB hurry…Appeared in all 13 games, making 12 starts in 2018…Totaled 45 tackles, four tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery ...Made a career-high 10 stops against N.C. Central (9/22)…Tallied 1.5 tackles for loss, one sack and one forced fumble at Miami (11/3) to help the Blue Devils to their first victory in Miami since 1976...Played in 11 games during freshman campaign in 2017….Totaled two tackles for loss and a sack.
HIGH SCHOOL
Played at The Bullis School for coach Pat Celinto…Three-star prospect by ESPN.com, Scout.com and 247Sports.com...Charted as the No. 63 defensive tackle in the nation by Scout.com and No. 75 defensive tackle in the country by ESPN.com... As a senior, posted 50 tackles, 19.0 tackles for loss and eight sacks to earn USA Today American Family Insurance All-USA Washington D.C. and first team All-Interstate Athletic Conference honors…Helped squad to 7-3 record in final campaign…Selected to play in both the 2016 Offense-Defense All-American Bowl and Maryland Crab Bowl…As a junior, earned first team all-conference honors after registering 39 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and six sacks…Helped Bullis to 21 wins and a pair of conference championships during three-year tenure…Also participated in basketball and track and field.
PERSONAL
Son of Angelo Kasa and Marie Luhnmbu ...Cousin, Prince Shembo, lettered four seasons (2010-13) as a linebacker at the University of Notre Dame and was selected in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons…Born on May 14, 1999.
