Blue White Illustrated

August 2022

Penn State Sports Magazine

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A U G U S T 2 0 2 2 10 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M W hen wide receiver prospect Ejani Shakir first visited Penn State's campus, everything just felt right. Shakir, a four-star wideout accord- ing to the On3 Consensus, earned an of- fer from the Nittany Lions more than two years ago, back in April 2020. But because of the pandemic, his recruit- ment didn't pick up speed until last June when he attended Penn State's Whiteout Camp. Following a good performance, he returned for a personal visit with the staff just over a week later. Those two trips left a strong impression on the Atco, N.J., resident. "The first time I ever stepped on cam- pus there, it was great," Shakir said. "I've been to a few campuses, and none of them really felt like that. It just felt like a great fit for me." This past May, Shakir announced his plans to sign with the Nittany Lions, be- coming the first wide receiver to join the team's 2023 recruiting class. He's the No. 284 overall prospect in the On3 Consen- sus, as well as the 42nd-ranked receiver and fourth-ranked New Jersey player. In addition to feeling at home on cam- pus, Shakir said the relationships he de- veloped with the coaching staff set Penn State apart. "When you have the coaches showing as much love as they did, it feels great. They were one of my early offers, too, so they've been consistent," he said. "They've really seen me evolve and have stuck with me. Plus, I just think they're the staff that will make me the best player I can be. I can be great there. They can take me to the league, but if it's not about that, they'll help me get a great job because of the education there. Everything is great around them." Listed at 6-foot, 175 pounds, Shakir recently transferred from Pennsauken High to Winslow Township. He was pur- sued by cornerbacks coach Terry Smith, who oversees Penn State's recruiting ef- forts in Philadelphia and South Jersey. In addition, wide receivers coach Taylor Stubblefield played a major role in lock- ing up his commitment. "I feel like I got to know Coach Stubbs a lot better throughout the process," Shakir said. "He's a really fun guy. He likes to joke and doesn't keep it too seri- ous. "He's really articulate, too. He wants the best for you, and he wants the best of the best there with him. I remember watching their receivers, and everyone there was running crisp routes, running everything correctly. I know he knows what he's doing." Since the end of his freshman season, Shakir has earned 18 scholarship offers. He visited Boston College, Maryland, Rutgers, Temple and West Virginia, but Penn State hosted him more often than any other school. Shakir took five unof- ficial visits to PSU, the most recent being on April 20. "I would say the closest contenders were West Virginia and Boston College," he explained, "but it was mainly between Penn State and West Virginia. I could see myself at both of those schools. Penn State felt more like home for me. I just felt that they gave me the best opportu- nity." ■ New Jersey Wideout Sees PSU As Home Away From Home RYA N S N Y D E R | R YA N. S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M COMMITMENT PROFILE EJANI SHAKIR Shakir also considered West Virginia and Boston College and chose the Nittany Lions over the Mountaineers. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER In early May, New Jersey wideout Ejani Sha- kir became the 12th player to join Penn State's 2023 recruiting class, marking an approximate halfway point for the cycle. Here's a look at what the Lions are getting: STRENGTHS Agility and burst: Shakir skates around the field effortlessly, making him seem faster than he is. He's the type of athlete who can make sharp cuts at high speed and not lose momen- tum or balance. Yards after contact: There's something nasty about how Shakir attacks defenders with the ball in his hands. He seems to find a way to fall forward on every play and breaks arm tackles routinely. Positional fundamentals: Shakir is quite good at everything. He runs crisp routes, tracks the ball well and has good concentra- tion when catching the ball. He's also a willing blocker who does the dirty work on screens and runs to get yards for his teammates. AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT Size: Shakir lacks any differentiating physical traits outside of his agility and burst. He's fast, but not the fastest. He's not small, but he's not big, and he doesn't have an outlandish catch radius. Contested catches: There aren't a lot of ex- amples on film of players fighting with Shakir for the ball in the air. Can he routinely outduel opponents for jump balls? We'll have to wait until next year to find out. PROJECTION Slot receiver: Shakir's suddenness in short spaces and ability to break tackles make him a dangerous receiver with the ball in his hands. Size doesn't have much to do with where receivers line up anymore, but Shakir isn't too tall at 6-foot to play the position. Boundary receiver: While he doesn't have prototypical size for this spot, he has the skills to get open on the outside. Shakir gets off the line of scrimmage well against press coverage, runs excellent routes and has good hands. — Thomas Frank Carr P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N

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