Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1480138
5 2 O C T O B E R 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 H ome openers under James Franklin's leadership tend not to have a deep list of recruiting visitors. With Penn State often facing a lesser opponent, the program has tended to welcome smaller groups of prospects for games against Group of Five opponents. However, this year's opener was a different story. The Nittany Lion coaching staff hosted 16 uncommitted scholarship prospects for the team's 46-10 victory over Ohio. Add in seven committed players in the 2023 class, plus 2024 commit Cooper Cousins, and the visitor list for the matchup against the Bobcats will probably end up being one of the best of the entire season. With the 2023 class down to just a few remaining scholarships, the major- ity of the players in attendance were juniors, including four-star defensive end Dylan Stewart of Washington (D.C.) Friendship Collegiate Academy. Currently listed as the No. 4-ranked prospect in the country by On3, Stew- art has already earned more than 30 scholarship offers. His list of suitors includes Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and many other powerhouses. It was Stewart's second trip to Penn State; he had previously attended the Nittany Lions' game against Michi- gan last November. Boston College, Maryland, Ohio State, Rutgers, South Carolina, Texas A&M and Washington are among the other schools he's vis- ited so far. The 6-foot-5, 235-pound edge rusher will surely be one of the top overall prospects on Penn State's recruiting board in the 2024 cycle. Another player to watch is running back Dejuan Williams of St. Frances in Baltimore. Ranked No. 172 nationally by On3, the four-star back attended the Lasch Bash Barbecue in July, mak- ing this his second trip to Penn State in about a seven-week span. "That environment was wild," Wil- liams said. "It was out of this world. They hold 107,000 fans, so you could see the student section to my left and the whole crowd to my right. It was crazy loud. "They have great talent on that team, and I like how they play the running backs. The freshmen get a lot of play- ing time." The 5-foot-10, 195-pound prospect holds a dozen offers. Maryland is be- lieved to be the only other school he's visited so far. Boston College, Cali- fornia, Georgia Tech, Louisville and Virginia Tech are a few other notable schools to offer. Two other four-star players in at- tendance were safety Jaylen McClain and defensive end Dominic Nichols. McClain is ranked No. 267 nationally and attends Seton Hall Prep in West Orange, N.J. Nichols is ranked No. 280 and plays at Oakdale High School in Ijamsville, Md. Home Opener Gives PSU A Chance To Make Its Case RYA N S N Y D E R | R YA N. S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M FOOTBALL RECRUITING Anthony Sacca is a 6-2, 215-pound linebacker in the class of 2025 from Philadelphia St. Joseph's High. He was rated as an early four-star prospect by On3, and his father, Tony, is a former Nittany Lions quarterback. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER