Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1454229
3 8 M A R C H 2 0 2 2 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M A nthony Ivey had his fair share of offers coming out of Manheim Township, but from the very beginning it felt like he was destined to be a Nittany Lion. As far back as the summer of 2019, it was clear that the four-star wide receiver prospect from Lancaster, Pa., had a seri- ous interest in Penn State. It began with an excellent showing at the staff's Elite Prospect Camp that June. A rising sopho- more, Ivey ran a 4.6-second 40-yard dash and a 4.5-second shuttle. That's pretty good for a 15-year-old. The Nittany Lion coaching staff knew then that they needed to pay attention to him as he began his sophomore season. It took Ivey just a handful of games to con- vince James Franklin and his staff that they had to offer. Then came the visits. Ivey attended three games at Beaver Stadium during the 2019 season and liked what he saw. By the time the calendar flipped to 2020, all that stood between Ivey and a commitment were a couple of quick trips to other schools. He suspected that Penn State was going to be the choice, but you can't make such an important decision without checking out some other options. But while he was able to check out West Virginia and Virginia Tech before the start of the normally scheduled February dead period, his hopes of making additional visits were derailed when the pandemic shut everything down in early March. Like so many other recruits at the time, Ivey could only hope that visits would re- sume in a few months. But that didn't happen. "I came close to having everything fig- ured out," Ivey said. "I had a couple visits done and really just wanted to see a couple more and I probably would have ended up committing sooner. I didn't want to commit, then have something change and want to take visits. I never wanted to be one of those guys who decommits." Ivey held out the entire summer, but by the time his junior season began, it was clear that things weren't going to be changing any time soon in college foot- ball. He ended up committing to Penn State on Oct. 29, 2020. A four-year letterman at Manheim Township, Ivey totaled 2,043 yards re- ceiving on 112 catches and scored 21 touchdowns in his career. He averaged a gaudy 18.2 yards per catch and was a force on special teams, too, scoring on three kick returns. Those performances helped him finish as the No. 232 overall prospect in the On3 Consensus and the No. 39 re- ceiver nationally. "Anthony has all the talent in the world," Manheim Township head coach Mark Evans said. "I felt from the very beginning, even before he played for our varsity squad, that he had the potential to play at the highest level. He has some of those things that you just can't coach. You either have the size and the speed to make things happen or you don't. I would also say that, at his position, you have to have those ball-awareness skills, that depth perception, that no one can really coach. He's got all of that." ■ Ivey piqued Penn State's interest when he ran a 4.6-sec- ond 40-yard dash prior to his sophomore season at Manheim Township. PHOTO BY GREG PICKEL Anthony Ivey Favored Nittany Lions From The Start RYA N S N Y D E R | S N Y D E R 4 2 0 8 8 @ G M A I L . C O M ANTHONY IVEY WR | 5-11 | 180 MANHEIM TOWNSHIP HIGH LANCASTER, PA. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE consensus ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 232 39 7 ✪ ✪ ✪ – 67 9 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 248 31 8 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ – 41 11 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 181 29 5 STATISTICS • Totaled 875 all-purpose yards as a senior, including 49 catches for 654 yards and nine touchdowns. • Finished with 23 receptions for 546 yards and eight touchdowns as a junior. • Had 815 all-purpose yards as a sophomore, including 22 receptions for 582 yards and four touchdowns. • Made 18 catches for 261 yards as a freshman. NOTABLE • Was a four-time all-state selection. • Chosen as the Lancaster-Lebanon League's Receiver of the Year following his senior season. • Played in the Polynesian Bowl in January. • Holds the school record for most kickoff re- turn yards. RECRUITMENT • Committed to Penn State on Oct. 29, 2020. • Recruited by receivers coach Taylor Stubble- field. • Picked Penn State over Auburn, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Michigan State and Auburn. • Officially visited on June 25, 2021. 2022 PROJECTION Ivey is likely to redshirt. However, his kickoff return abilities could be called upon with a good summer camp. THEY SAID IT Mark Evans, Manheim Township head coach: "Anthony has a tremendous ability to be an im- pact player. From the start of his freshman year here, he's made big plays. ... If he continues to work hard consistently and continues to develop, he'll have a very bright future at Penn State." BWI analyst Thomas Frank Carr: "The best part of his game is his route-running ability. There are a lot of good route-runners who have come to Penn State recently, and Ivey might be one of the best that it has acquired. "Penn State wants speed, and the coaches are not concerned with where it comes from. As far as that goes, Anthony Ivey is one of the better ones you're going to find."