Blue White Illustrated

P enn State went on a run that rst weekend in July, adding ve new commitments in three days, but there was still plenty to watch for as BWI went to press. Running back Nick Sin- gleton of Shillington, Pa., was closing in on a commitment July 6. He was expected to pick either the Nittany Lions or Notre Dame, and Penn State was considered the team to beat. The Rivals250 prospect took o-cial visits to both schools in June, and at di.erent points, each program was considered the favorite. However, in those nal days, most who cover recruiting agreed that the Nittany Lions were the front-runners. The sta.'s other can't-miss prospect, ve-star defensive end Dani Dennis- Sutton of Baltimore, announced that he was planning to end his recruitment on July 22. However, unlike with Singleton, Dennis-Sutton's preference was still very much up for debate in the rst few days of July. A month earlier, he took of- cial visits to Alabama, Georgia and Penn State, and it was believed that the Bulldogs and Nittany Lions had emerged as the two schools he was still considering. Both Dennis-Sutton and Singleton sit at the top of Penn State's wish list, but there were plenty of other players who visited in June and were still seriously considering the Nittany Lions as of early July. At running back, Kaytron Allen, who grew up in Norfolk, Va., and now attends IMG Academy in Florida, was believed to be leaning toward joining Ja'Juan Seider's already deep running back room. He took o-cial visits to Florida, Georgia and Michigan State. Virginia prospects George Pettaway and Ramon Brown were also very much in the mix. Wide receiver prospects Darrius Clemons of Portland, Ore., and Cristian Driver of Argyle, Texas, also took o-cial visits in June. Both are four-star players who sit inside the Rivals250. Clemons isn't expected to make a de- cision until the fall, and it's believed that Auburn and Oregon are the competitors. The Lions are considered to be leading with Driver, who has announced a deci- sion date of July 29, his birthday. Penn State was the only school to receive an o-cial visit from him this summer, so it looked good as of early July. He's the son of former Green Bay Packers wide re- ceiver Donald Driver, who was coached by James Franklin in 2005. On the defensive side, Penn State was still searching for another linebacker prospect as of this writing. New York native Moses Walker was at the top of the Lions' wish list following an o-cial visit during the nal weekend of June. Rutgers was believed to be the main competitor, and he even drove to Pis- cataway to squeeze in an uno-cial visit in the hours a=er he le= State College. That's why most believed that the Scar- let Knights were the team to beat. There are a number of options at cor- nerback, with Jordan Allen of Lafayette, La., Camron Miller of Fernandina Beach, Fla., and Keenan Nelson Jr. of Philadel- phia all believed to have Penn State among their top two schools. Both Miller and Nelson took o-cial visits in June. One other notable prospect to moni- tor is safety K.J. Winston of DeMatha High in Hyattsville, Md. Winston took o-cial visits to Penn State, Maryland and Michigan State in June, and he was believed to be leaning toward the Lions and Terrapins. He had yet to announce a commitment date as of July 4. ■ Nittany Lions eyeing key prospects as class continues to come together ments came from wide receiver Tyler Johnson and punter Alex Bacchetta. Johnson was the lone player to actually commit in June. A three-star prospect from Magna Vista High School in Ridge- way, Va., he picked up an o.er from Penn State in mid-May following a spring sea- son in which he totaled 925 yards and 13 touchdowns on only 25 receptions. Al- though the o.er was already extended, the sta. still needed to see a bit more, so they welcomed Johnson on campus June 16 for an uno-cial visit. For this year only, rising seniors were allowed to work out for schools if they took an uno-cial visit, and that proved to be a good deci- sion for Johnson, as he put up some im- pressive times, including a 4.47-second 40-yard dash and a 4.18-second shuttle. Add in an excellent showing during eld drills, and the decision to bring Johnson back for an o-cial visit on the weekend of June 18-20 was an easy one. "I really wanted to just get all of this over with because I know Penn State is the best school for me," Johnson said. "I feel like Penn State has something great for me. I can get to the next level there and be developed. I really just feel like it's a great place where I can showcase my tal- ent, but there are also a lot of great people there. I just feel really comfortable with them. It's the right t." Johnson earned 16 scholarship o.ers over the course of his recruitment. Vir- ginia Tech and Wake Forest both earned uno-cial visits earlier in the month. Bacchetta, who's considered the top punter in the nation by Kohl's Kicking, ended his recruitment on May 25. An At- lanta native, he picked up an o.er from the Nittany Lions in April, but his re- cruitment dates back to 2020. In fact, he visited Penn State on his own last August to take a self-guided tour during the NCAA's dead period. Bacchetta plays at Westminster, the same school that produced former Penn State punter Blake Gillikin. More than a dozen Football Bowl Subdivision pro- grams were showing interest at the time of his commitment. Arkansas and Vir- ginia extended o.ers before he ended his recruitment. ■ | SINGLETON

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