Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1462941
A P R I L 2 0 2 2 5 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M F ollowing the February dead period and the university's spring break in March, on-campus recruiting is starting to ramp back up at Penn State. Heading into the final week of March, the Nittany Lions hadn't landed a verbal commitment since offensive lineman Jven Williams announced for PSU on Feb. 5. But the absence of commitments doesn't mean there's been no news. Af- ter all, even during a dead period, phone conversations, text messaging and other forms of electronic communication are still allowed. The coaches have been making head- way lately with a number of key 2023 prospects. At the quarterback position, it ap- pears as though two players are starting to emerge. Marcus Stokes, a 6-foot-2, 180-pound prospect from Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., could be a realistic addition. Stokes, a three-star player as rated by On3, visited once in January and is now planning to return during his school's spring break, which will be the first full week in April. He told us earlier this year that he teared up when Penn State of- fered him a scholarship during his visit back on Jan. 29. "I looked over then at my dad and he had tears in his eyes. Honestly, I started tearing up, too," Stokes said. "I knew that was just a massive moment in my recruitment and really my entire life. It was one of those experiences that you'll never forget. Getting an offer from a school like Penn State is just an incred- ible feeling." That proved to be true. Since Penn State became the first Power Five pro- gram to offer, Indiana, Pitt, Utah and Virginia Tech have all done the same. Other schools such as Florida, Miami and Notre Dame are also showing inter- est. JJ Kohl of Ankeny, Iowa, also is very much in the mix. After camping at Penn State last summer, the 6-6, 230-pound quarterback earned an offer from the staff at the end of January. He's since After Late-Winter Lull, Recruiting Efforts Intensify 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 FOOTBALL RECRUITING Three-star Philadelphia linebacker Josiah Trotter has been getting to know the Nittany Lions' new defensive coordinator, Manny Diaz. "I love talking to him," Trotter said. "He has a great personality." PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER