Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1462941
A P R I L 2 0 2 2 5 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M contact and our relationship with them. I've been getting to know the new defensive coor- dinator, Coach [Manny] Diaz, who's there now. He's been telling me that he thinks I'd be a Mike linebacker for them. He sees me as the guy in the mid- dle, running the defense. I love talking to him. He has a great personal- ity. I need to just keep learning more about his scheme, how I fit in, and if it would be the right spot for me." Trotter, the son of former Philadel- phia Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, still plans to take additional visits this spring and summer, with a commitment coming at some point in July or August. He plays for powerhouse St. Joseph's Prep. There were a handful of additional players who visited Penn State in March. That included four 2023 scholarship players on the weekend of March 18-19. IMG Academy defensive lineman Will Norman was the highest-rated player in that group, ranking No. 125 nation- ally in the On3 Consensus. A native of Camden, N.J., Norman returned for his second visit to Penn State that weekend, calling it an "eye-opener." "Growing up in South Jersey, Penn State was a school that a lot of people around me wish they could go to," he said. "[Franklin's] message to me was to keep it going and come play for a school that's basically your hometown." No r m a n , a fo u r- s ta r p ro s p e c t , doesn't appear to be in any hurry to decide. An official visit to Penn State should come down the road, potentially for this year's White Out game. Four-star tight end Andrew Rapple- yea, from Millbrook, N.Y., was also back in State College March 19. Rappleyea was close to committing to Penn State around Christmas, but the Lions added a commitment from Neeo Avery on New Year's Eve. He went on to commit to Michigan a few weeks later, feeling that Penn State was full at the tight end po- sition. The situation has since changed. Av- ery confirmed to reporters a few weeks ago that he'll now focus on the defensive end position moving forward. That frees up a scholarship at tight end, which could very well be filled by Rappleyea in April. He planned to visit Michigan on March 26 and Boston College on April 2. After that, we should know if he's stick- ing with the Wolverines. The other three scholarship visitors that weekend were cornerback Brice Pollock of Snellville, Ga., three-star defensive end Calvin Smith of Ocoee, Fla., and four-star of- fensive lineman Nathan Efobi of Cumming, Ga. Efobi is the highest-ranked player of that group, sitting at No. 328 na- tionally in the On3 Consensus. Penn State already holds four commitments from offen- sive linemen, but that hasn't stopped assistant coach Phil Trautwein from potentially adding others. Efobi doesn't plan to commit until late in the cycle, likely during or after his season. "The stadium has to be the first thing that stood out. It's way bigger in person than I thought it would be. I've never seen a stadium that big in my life," Efobi said. "Imagining all the fans being there, that was kind of a surreal moment for me." Pollock also spoke highly of his expe- rience, and he's emerging as one of Penn State's top cornerback prospects in the class. He's unranked by On3 but holds Power Five offers from Georgia Tech, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan State, Pitt, Wake Forest and West Virginia. "I had a one-on-one with [Franklin] in his office, and that was really good," Pollock said. "The culture there just feels good. Also, the college campus — it just feels like how a college is sup- posed to feel. I thought it was a really good atmosphere. The stadium was huge, the photo shoot was a lot of fun. I had fun." ■ C L A S S O F 2 0 2 3 C O M M I T M E N T S NAME POS HT WT RATING* HOME SCHOOL Neeo Avery TE 6-4.5 225 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Glen Burnie, Md. Good Counsel Mathias Barnwell Ath. 6-5.5 255 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Fredericksburg, Va. Riverbend Alex Birchmeier OL 6-5.5 275 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Ashburn, Va. Broad Run Anthony Donkoh OL 6-4 310 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Aldie, Va. Lightridge Joshua Miller OL 6-4 320 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Colonial Heights, Va. Life Christian Academy Lamont Payne CB 6-0.5 180 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Bridgeville, Pa. Chartiers Valley Joey Schlaffer TE 6-5.5 205 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Reading, Pa. Exeter Township Jven Williams OL 6-4 290 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Reading, Pa. Wyomissing C L A S S O F 2 0 2 4 C O M M I T M E N T NAME POS HT WT RATING* HOME SCHOOL Cooper Cousins OL 6-5.5 300 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Erie, Pa. McDowell * Player ratings reflect On3 rating as of March 25 Rk. School Commits 1. USC 3 2. Notre Dame 9 3. Georgia 7 4. Ohio State 5 5. Penn State 8 Rk. School Commits 6. Arkansas 10 7. Michigan 6 8. Oklahoma 4 9. Texas Tech 13 10. Florida State 5 ON3 CONSENSUS 2023 TEAM RANKINGS As of March 25