Penn State Sports Magazine
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5 4 J U N E / J U L Y 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 tion with Dan Connor, the former PSU All-American and NFL linebacker who is now a defensive analyst for the Nit- tany Lions. "He's a great dude. That was my first time ever meeting him, and he's a fantastic person," Speca said. "He was just telling me his experience there and what Penn State meant to him. We also talked about how I fit in there. But also, it wasn't just him preaching why I need to go there. We just had a great talk about a lot of things. We talked about football in general, how my shoulder is healing, just a very good, genuine con- versation." Jones actually has ties to the recruit- ing staff, as he's a cousin of national recruiting director Kenny Sanders. Ranked as the No. 11 linebacker nation- ally and No. 3 player in Virginia, he's taken three visits to Penn State already. Louisville, Maryland, Ohio State, South Carolina, Virginia and Virginia Tech are the other schools that have hosted him so far. "Penn State never disappoints," Jones said. "For a spring game, they show up and they go big. I like how the fan base is. They support the players and up-and-coming recruits, and I just really like the atmosphere around Penn State." ■ With spring practice wrapped up, Penn State's coaching staff will shift its focus to recruiting during the next two months. May is an evaluation period on the NCAA calendar, which allows assistant coaches to hit the road up until May 31. They'll be checking in with coaches and players just as they would at other times of the year, but this evaluation period also allows coaches to watch players per- form individual workouts. If they have a question about how well a quarterback throws, or maybe how much an offen- sive lineman can squat, this is the time of the year to get those answers. June is also an important month, with Penn State preparing to host many of its most coveted prospects in the class of 2023 for official visits. As of May 4, the coaching staff had arranged about two dozen official visits for uncommitted players in June. The staff is also planning to host all of the players who are cur- rently committed. With Penn State's most important prospect camp, the Whiteout Camp, scheduled for June 4, the vast majority of official visitors are expected to come the following three weekends: June 10- 12, 17-19 and 24-26. Blue White Illustrated confirmed 13 official visitors for that first weekend, including notable players like four-star offensive lineman Evan Link of Fort Washington, Md., and four-star wide receiver Ejani Shakir, of Atco, N.J. Link is one of Penn State's top offensive tackle prospects, ranking as the No. 113 overall prospect nationally and No. 12 offensive tackle, according to On3. Stanford hosted him for a visit in January, while Penn State has gotten him on campus three times dating back to last summer. Shakir, the No. 46 wide receiver in the nation and No. 4 prospect in New Jersey, is also a top prospect at his position. Just like Link, he has been a regular visitor to Penn State, taking five trips to State College since last summer. A four-star prospect, Shakir transferred to Winslow Township High recently, where former Penn State running back Bill Belton is his offensive coordinator. Maryland, Virginia Tech and West Virginia are also believed to be in the mix. The following weekend, June 17-19, is expected to be the biggest of the three. The list is stacked, and Penn State is in good shape with multiple players, includ- ing wide receiver Rodney Gallagher of Uniontown, Pa., running back London Montgomery of Scranton, Pa., and line- backers Ta'Mere Robinson of Pittsburgh and Tony Rojas of Fairfax, Va. All four have received four-star ratings from On3. Montgomery, the No. 17 running back nationally and No. 5 prospect in Pennsyl- vania, earned an offer from the Nittany Lions in March and is now considered the staff 's top target at the position. He visited Penn State twice last month, spending a personal day with the staff April 15, then returning for the Blue- White Game a week later. He's been on campus four times since November. Notable offers include Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Rutgers, Virginia Tech and West Virginia. The final weekend had just three con- firmed visitors as of early May, but that's normally the case; Penn State usually encourages prospects to the visit on the earlier weekends so that the staff can add players late. Coach James Franklin always tries to avoid having too many players on campus at the same time so that everyone gets the attention they deserve. But there are a few important visitors confirmed for that final weekend, including three-star wide receiver Kenny Johnson of Dallastown, Pa., three- star defensive end Mason Robinson of Baltimore, and four-star safety Cam Seldon of Heathsville, Va. Seldon is the highest-rated player of the three, ranking as the No. 6 ath- lete nationally and No. 4 prospect in Virginia, according to On3. He's been quiet about his recruitment, but he does have additional official visits set to Maryland and Tennessee. — Ryan Snyder Penn State Is Set To Welcome Elite Recruits In June Ranked by On3 as the No. 5 prospect in Pennsylvania, London Montgomery has emerged as Penn State's top target at running back for 2023. PHOTO BY GREG PICKEL