Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1480138
6 0 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 with the Au- gust commitment of Iowa prospect Jaxon Smolik, a three-star signal-caller in the On3 Consensus. Listed at 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, Smolik emerged on Penn State's radar in early July after former commit Marcus Stokes switched to Florida. Both Stokes and Smolik performed at the Elite 11 Finals in Long Beach, Calif. At the time, Smolik had just commit- ted to Tulane, but a late invitation to the Elite 11, a competition involving the na- tion's best rising-senior quarterbacks, changed everything about his recruit- ment. Charles Power, On3's director of scouting, said Smolik "was impressive every day and really got better as the event moved on," displaying consistency and an impressive array of physical tools. Within a week or so, Penn State of- fensive coordinator Mike Yurcich began building a relationship with the West Des Moines native. He camped with the staff July 29, and by the time he left campus he was the Nittany Lions' top target to fill the position. Smolik spent the next two weeks mulling his options. Notre Dame and Wisconsin were showing interest, but in the end, Smolik said he knew that the Nittany Lions were the right choice. "I've always liked Penn State. I've watched them since Trace McSorley was there. He was one of my favorite college quarterbacks," Smolik said. "It was a great place when I went up there and toured. Everyone was super nice, and I loved everything about it, be- tween the coaches and all the staff. All the other recruits were super nice to me, and the facilities were awesome as well. It's a great fit for me." Smolik informed Penn State of his decision on Aug. 12. He said both Yur- cich and head coach James Franklin were happy to receive his commitment fol- lowing the loss of Stokes. "They were all excited and hyped," Smolik said. "I think they were excited to get this process over with. They thought they were done with it a while ago with Stokes, but then they had to start over. "They were just super excited and making sure I was done with recruiting after this. I made it clear I'll be sticking with Penn State." Last season, Smolik broke his collar- bone during the first series of Dowling Catholic High's opener. He managed to return late in the season, playing in four games and finishing with 959 yards passing, 9 touchdowns and 2 intercep- tions. He completed 65.5 percent of his attempts in an abbreviated season. In his first three games this year, Smo- lik completed 53 of 78 pass attempts for 584 yards and 4 touchdowns. He is the 42nd-ranked QB in the 2023 recruiting class according to the On3 Consensus, and No. 31 by On3's scouts. He's also the No. 9 prospect in Iowa. ■ Iowa Quarterback Fills A Need For Nittany Lions 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 JAXON SMOLIK Smolik's recruitment took off after a strong showing at the Elite 11 Finals in California this past summer. He had been committed to Tulane, but switched to Penn State in August. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER Penn State bounced back quickly after the decommitment of quarterback Marcus Stokes at the end of July. The team promptly identified Iowa native Jaxon Smolik as its top target and secured his commitment early in August. STRENGTHS Throwing quickness and efficiency: Smolik has one of the smoothest, quickest releases you'll find in a high school quarterback. That trait al- lows him to complete passes into tight windows and beat defenders with anticipation. Factor in his mechanics and footwork, and he has the po- tential to deliver the ball quickly in any scheme. Decision-making and instincts: Smolik has made some spectacular throws in big-game situ- ations that can't be ignored. His ability to find the open receiver when it counts gives him that "gamer" trait that fans love in an undersized quarterback. Deep-ball accuracy: Throwing an excellent deep ball isn't all about arm strength; it's also about loft and accuracy. You want the pass to fall into the receiver's arms and away from the de- fensive back. Smolik puts great touch and height on the ball, allowing the receiver to run under his passes without making him wait. AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT Arm strength: Smolik puts good zip on the ball when throwing short and intermediate passes, but when he throws off-platform, his power de- creases exponentially. While arm strength isn't everything, it is essential to being a complete quarterback. Throwing on the run: The appeal of a quar- terback who runs a 4.7 40-yard dash and a 4.30 shuttle is the ability to throw on the run. Smolik can do it, but he lacks consistency. He especially struggles rolling to his left and throwing on the run. PROJECTION Smolik is a good quarterback who possesses varying aspects of arm talent. He lacks the raw power to quickly push the ball into the flats, but he has good rotational velocity and a compact, efficient throwing motion that allows him to fit passes into small windows downfield. Smolik is a scrambler, not a runner. On film, you'll see him escape the pocket, get the avail- able yards and get down. He's a good athlete but isn't looking to break tackles or bring a dynamic element to the game. — Thomas Frank Carr P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N