Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1480138
5 6 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 P enn State picked up its quarterback for the class of 2023 when Iowa na- tive Jaxon Smolik committed on Aug. 12. Smolik's emergence as a Power Five prospect was slowed by a broken col- larbone that cost him much of his junior season, but he made a big impression this past summer at the Elite 11 Finals in California and ended up flipping his verbal commitment from Tulane to Penn State. Those who know him best will tell you it was only a matter of time before schools began to recognize the poten- tial of the 6-foot-1, 205-pound prospect from West Des Moines. To get a better feel for what Penn State fans can expect from Smolik, who has a three-star rating in the On3 Consensus, BWI caught up with Dowling Catholic head coach Tom Wilson. BWI: How long have you known Jaxon? How far back does that relation- ship go? TOM WILSON: I've known him quite a while. Jaxon started coming to our youth camp when he was around fifth or sixth grade. His dad had also reached out to our quarterbacks coach, Craig McClain, when he was probably around that age. He just wanted to give Jaxon an introduction into quarterback skills, and that kind of started the rela- tionship. Jaxon hung around our practices quite a bit when he was in junior high. He would just come out and get a feel for the offense and hang around our program. That then led him into his freshman year. BWI: What is he like as a leader? What qualities does he bring to the locker room? WILSON: As he's progressed through our program, Jaxon has always been a fairly quiet, stoic kid who took his time at practice pretty seriously, as well as his time in the weight room. I think that off the field, he's a great example to every- one else, not only with his work ethic but also his story and perseverance. He really never lost sight of what his goals were and what he wanted to ac- complish, and that's really how he's lived his life. I think, just as a leader, that has evolved. It's not easy being a sophomore and playing on the varsity, especially I N T E R V I E W T O M W I L S O N ARM TALENT Jaxon Smolik's 'lukewarm' recruitment turned red hot after he was given a chance at the Elite 11 Finals to flash his potential RYA N S N Y D E R | RYA N. S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M Smolik is the No. 42 quarterback nationally and the No. 9 prospect in Iowa, according to the On3 Consensus. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER