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P enn State picked up what many fans considered a surprise commitment in August when Atlanta native Holden Staes announced his decision to come north and play for the Nittany Lions. A Class of 2022 prospect, Staes earned an o7er from James Franklin and his sta7 in April. At the time, many thought it was just another o7er for the three-star tight end from Westminster, but Penn State instantly became one of his top schools. To get a better feel for his decision and what fans can expect from him in a few years, BWI recruiting reporter Ryan Snyder caught up with Staes to talk about some of the factors that led to his decision. BWI To start o7, why Penn State? When you were thinking it over in the days leading up to your commitment, what were two or three things that really set Penn State apart from the rest? STAES Before COVID-19, I thought I was going to end up committing next spring. But because of the pandemic, re- cruiting got sped up for me and I had to make a decision a bit earlier than I planned. So probably a month or two before I had to make a decision, I really started focusing on all these conversa- tions more. I really tried to take every- thing out of them. I also started doing my research more on the schools that stood out to me. When it came to my de- cision, it came down to my relationship with the coaches, how I 5t in with the program and the playing style, plus what the school could provide for me o7 the 5eld. Around that time, my relationship with Coach [Tyler] Bowen really 6our- ished. We were on Zoom all the time, watching 5lm and discussing a little bit of everything. He also talked to my par- ents all the time, so it really felt like fam- ily. So everything that he and Coach Franklin preached to us felt right. I also talked to some players about that stu7. I talked to Pat Freiermuth and Theo Johnson. I also talked to Blake Gillikin, who went to my high school. Everything they told me backed it up. I was also real impressed with everything that Penn State has done at the tight end position. Penn State is the best place to be in the country if you're a tight end right now, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. That played a big part in my decision. I also took a campus visit with my parents. I really liked the vibe up there and I really like the town. So everything just felt right. BWI A lot of guys have said that the pandemic forced them to push back their commitments. For you, it sounds like the opposite. Was that because Penn State already had a tight end committed in Jerry Cross? STAES I always knew that Penn State planned to take two tight ends in this class, even before Jerry committed. So I knew there was still a spot a8er he com- mitted. But even before his commit- ment, I had a few schools asking me about my timeline. There's a lot of un- certainty right now when it comes to roster spots. The NCAA is granting guys extra years, even if they play this season. So me and some other guys have been realizing that, if a spot is available and you feel comfortable, why wait? That's kind of how I felt, at least. It wasn't the timeline that I planned, but I'm happy with the way it played out. I knew what I wanted to do. BWI Penn State o7ered you in April. How quickly did you realize that this school might be a serious option for you? I assume that once you started to get to know Tyler Bowen, that's when things started to become serious, but was there any speci5c moment or con- versation that really stood out? STAES I wouldn't say that there was a particular moment. I would say that Penn State was always an o7er I really wanted. A8er watching Mike Gesicki and Pat Freiermuth more recently, I re- alized that Penn State was a great school for tight ends. I thought, wow, this is a place that really uses its tight ends. So that's always excited me about Penn State. Also, my cousin was coached by Coach Bowen at Fordham. I thought that was really cool when he o7ered me. Once we started doing all the Zoom calls and everything, that's when they went from one of the schools I really liked to up there at the top of the list. But yeah, to be honest, Penn State was already one of my top schools right from the start. BWI Did you know much about Penn State before this process started? STAES I started paying attention to them when Saquon [Barkley] was there. I feel like that's when Penn State really blew up. That's when they came onto the scene under Coach Franklin, but I knew about them a little bit even before that. But really, it wasn't until I started talking to Coach Franklin and Coach Bowen that I really learned about every- thing that Penn State o7ers. I didn't know that they were a top-20 school ac- ademically. I didn't realize the kind of person that Coach Franklin is. I remem- ber a8er just a couple Zoom calls talking to my sister about him. I was telling her that I'd go to war for Coach Franklin. He's just the best coach that I've ever talked to, and Coach Bowen is right there. BWI You came up to Penn State to see State College before you committed. Can you take me through that visit? When did you come up? Did you spend the night? What did you see and do? What were some of your favorite spots? STAES We drove up there on a Thurs- day. It was a nice drive. It wasn't all that bad. We ended up staying at The Penn Stater. That's where the coaches told us they stay. That's where they recom- mended. We spent basically the whole I N T E R V I E W H O L D E N S T A E S It's going to be a fun show when we get there' '

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