Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1462941
5 4 A P R I L 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 had multiple Zoom conversations with Mike Yurcich and other members of the staff. Unlike Stokes, who's just now start- ing to take off, Kohl is reaching the fi- nal stages of his recruitment. The On3 four-star prospect told Blue White Il- lustrated in February that he wants to have his recruitment finished before the start of summer. It looks as though Boston College, Iowa State, Minnesota, Penn State and Wisconsin will host him for visits in mid-April. The Cyclones are likely the favorites, with the Nittany Lions and Badgers in the best position to sway him elsewhere. Kohl has family ties to Iowa State, with his father having played there. Middle linebacker Josiah Trotter also narrowed his list of schools in February. The Philadelphia native released a top five that consisted of Clemson, Penn State, South Carolina, Virginia Tech and West Virginia. Trotter, a three-star prospect, said the Nittany Lions " have been really consistent when it comes to staying in Penn State commit Jven Williams is now the No. 11 overall pros- pect in the class of 2023, according to On3. Williams was awarded a fifth star by On3 in early March. Besides ranking inside the top 15 nationally, the senior-to-be from Wyomiss- ing (Pa.) High is also the No. 1 interior lineman in the new On300. "We've been high on Jven Williams since the fall, but he contin- ues to ascend as a prospect in our eyes," On3 director of scouting Charles Power told BWI. "Williams oozes upside. He's an easy, natural mover on his junior video and is outstanding at the second level. He also has top-notch length and play strength. He backs up the explosive athleticism and strength with some very impressive numbers in the shot put. "Add in the fact that he's still developing and won't turn 17 until late August, and we're talking about a prospect with a very high ceiling." Williams is still a four-star prospect in the On3 Consensus, which takes into account the ratings of three other online recruiting net- works. But he's the second-highest-rated Penn State commit all-time in the On300. Last cycle, the Lions signed quarterback Drew Allar, who finished at No. 7. Defensive end Davon Townley was the first Penn State recruit to be ranked in the On300, finishing 79th overall in the class of 2021. At 6-foot-4, 290 pounds, Williams has excelled in both football and track and field. With a personal-best throw of more than 57 feet in the shot put and a state championship in the discus, he is explosive an explosive athlete and appears to have the frame to handle more weight. "I think he could be an absolute, total dominant force as a guard," said Dane Miller, who trains Williams at Garage Strength. "He moves well in space. That's one of the big benefits behind it. If you're running zone offense and you have somebody like him who can actually move, that's a pretty big asset to the offensive scheme." Another recruit in the Lions' 2023 class, four-star prospect Neeo Avery, moved down 35 spots to No. 141. Power said Avery's decline in the rankings was due to uncertainty about where he will play at the college level. "There's definitely some ambiguity there," Power said. "Is he an edge [rusher]? Is he a tight end? Initially, I was totally focused on him being a tight end when we started our rankings in the fall. "One thing I will say is that we see a lot of high school quarter- backs — or what I would call jumbo athletes — translate pretty well to tight end at the college level, so that bodes well for Avery. But nailing down exactly where he's going to end up would certainly help us from a projection perspective. I think he runs really well, has great size and is athletic enough to play a few spots, so that all works well for him." — Greg Pickel Jven Williams Earns Fifth Star In On3 Rankings Williams, who committed to Penn State in February, could be "an absolute, total dominant force as a guard," according to his trainer, Dane Miller. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER