Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1480138
5 4 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 the game-day environment in and around the stadium and came away impressed. "They got 107,000 for this game, so there were a ton of people there. Before the game, we took the recruiting shuttle over to the stadium. We got to drive through all the tailgates. There were RVs everywhere. Literally everywhere you could see, there were people tailgating. It's a cool scene." McClain, who stands at 5-11, 185 pounds, had visited Penn State once before, attending a spring practice at the end of March. This was his first game at Beaver Stadium. "The atmosphere was ridiculous. It was packed, and it was loud," McClain said. "What stood out to me the most was how many DBs got to play." In addition to Franklin, McClain had an opportunity to talk to cornerbacks coach Terry Smith, safeties coach An- thony Poindexter and several of the team's recruiting staffers. "They basically all told me that I'm a priority. They want me to keep coming back so we can keep building the rela- tionship and becoming more comfort- able," he said. One other four-star player in at- tendance was athlete Jerrae Hawkins of Wheeling, W.Va. Hawkins, ranked in the On3 Consensus as the No. 261 overall player in the class, came to PSU in June and put together a very strong workout at the staff's Whiteout Camp. The camp featured many other top prospects, but Hawkins was the fast- est player in attendance, running a 4.38-second 40-yard dash. Add in a strong broad jump and shuttle time, and it was one of the best workouts of any camp participant this summer. Hawkins ended up leaving town with an offer. Although he did see some fa- cilities that day, the trip for the Ohio game was his first true visit to Penn State. "It was fun getting to see them play," he said. "I was supposed to have a photo shoot before, but I was a little late. I had a game in Cleveland the day before, so I had to get a little sleep. But I liked it a lot. It was my first game up there. I liked the environ- ment, how they played as a team and got the win." Hawkins said he was paying special attention to the way Penn State used its slot receivers. "I was watching to see what they had to do, stuff like that," he said. "They get the ball out quick. It's all quick stuff. That's definitely a fit for me. I've been talking to the coaches. They've been keeping me in touch and have been talking about wanting to get me up there for a while." Penn State also hosted a handful of talented players from Philadelphia, including four scholarship prospects from the top program in the state, St. Joseph's Prep. Three of those players are 2024 talents: quarterback Samaj Jones and wide receivers David Wash- ington Jr. and Brandon Rehmann. All three have been on campus a few times previously. The other St. Joseph's prospect was 2025 athlete Anthony Sacca. The son of former Nittany Lion quarterback Tony Sacca, Anthony is on pace to be one of the best prospects in the country for the 2025 cycle. Already standing 6-2, 215 pounds, he is one of only 100 players to earn an early four-star rating from On3. His of- fer sheet also includes Georgia, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Texas A&M. Even though he's a legacy prospect, the Ohio game was Sacca's first at Bea- ver Stadium since he was a young child. "It was definitely an experience that I feel everyone should see at least once," he said. "From the minute I got onto the field to the minute I left, it was pump- ing. Their fans were great. The atmo- sphere is a lot of fun." ■ Rk. School Commits 1. Alabama 23 2. Georgia 19 3. Ohio State 20 4. Texas 22 5. Notre Dame 22 6. LSU 22 7. Oklahoma 22 8. Clemson 20 9. Miami 17 10. Florida 20 12. Penn State 20 ON3 CONSENSUS 2023 TEAM RANKINGS As of Sept. 26 New Jersey safety prospect Jaylen McClain said he was told by Penn State's staff that he was a high priority in the 2024 recruiting cycle. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER