Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1488968
J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 5 9 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State will look to get the mo- mentum rolling for its 2024 recruit- ing class as soon as the team returns from the Rose Bowl. By this time last year, the Nittany Lions had already earned four commit- ments for the 2023 class. That number was even higher the previous year, with six players having committed more than 12 months before they could sign as members of the class of 2022. As of mid-December, Penn State had just one 2024 commitment: four-star offensive lineman Cooper Cousins of Erie, Pa. That's not necessarily a prob- lem, considering the relationships the staff has developed. It's going to be a busy winter, though, with two junior days already scheduled for January. There's no shortage of talent within the Lions' traditional recruiting territory. According to On3's Consensus Rankings, which equally weigh the evaluations from all four major recruiting sites, there are 35 four- or five-star players in the Mid-Atlantic region in the 2024 recruit- ing class. For comparison, there were only 26 four- or five-star players within the re- gion in the 2023 cycle. The ratings will fluctuate in the months ahead, but if the number of four-star-or-higher players stays somewhere in the 30s, the 2024 class will have the second-highest total of blue-chip prospects within the region in the past decade. While it's hard to predict how many scholarships Penn State will have avail- able until after the transfer portal win- dow closes, the team's priorities are coming into focus. Quarterback will surely be one of those positions. The staff has already extended offers to 16 signal-callers, and there's a good chance that the number will grow in the months ahead. The two presumed favorites are Jayden Bradford of Chapin, S.C., and Luke Kro- menhoek of Savannah, Ga. Bradford holds a four-star rating from On3 and plays at IMG Academy in Bra- denton, Fla. Kromenhoek is a three-star prospect at Benedictine Military School. He is committed to Florida State, but he vis- ited State College in October for the Li- ons' White Out game against Minnesota. Both head coach James Franklin and of- fensive coordinator Mike Yurcich went to see him play at different times this past season. Wide receiver will be another key po- sition. The Nittany Lions have extended 50 scholarship offers to prospects all over the country. Keylen Adams of Virginia Beach, Va., and Chance Robinson of Fort Lauder- dale, Fla., both hold four-star ratings and have already visited Penn State. Robin- son raved about his experience watching the Lions rout Minnesota in front of a sellout crowd. "The White Out was the craziest col- lege game I've ever been to," he said. "I've been to Florida, Florida State and a Texas A&M game so far, but Penn State blew me away. Their energy, their fans — it was amazing." Elsewhere, Penn State is already be- lieved to be off to a strong start with de- fensive end prospects Dominic Nichols of Ijamsville, Md., and Jaylen Harvey of Potomac, Md. Both are in the On300, with Harvey at No. 265 and Nichols at No. 277. Nichols and Harvey have each taken four visits to State College already. Defensive tackle will be another key position for Penn State in the 2024 class. The staff hasn't cast as wide a net here as it has at some other positions, but it's clear the Lions want to sign some difference-makers in the middle of their defensive front. There are few notable prospects at the top of their list, starting with Baltimore native Ernest Willor. The 6-foot-3, 253-pound four-star prospect plays at IMG Academy but has maintained a strong relationship with the staff. He's taken two visits to Penn State so far, which is more than he's taken to any other school. Willor is ranked as the No. 173 overall prospect in the class by On3. Nigel Smith of Melissa, Texas, has also shot up the staff's recruiting board in re- cent months. Listed at 6-4, 260 pounds, Smith traveled to State College for the game against Maryland in November. He's ranked as the nation's No. 77 overall prospect, so there's going to be plenty of competition. And yet, he ad- mitted after returning home that Penn State was quickly moving up his list. "I really enjoyed myself there," Smith said. "It really was a great time. It caught me by surprise, because I didn't know what to expect. If I had a list of top schools right now, Penn State just jumped up there out of nowhere." n Nittany Lions Turn Attention To 2024 Recruiting Class RYA N S N Y D E R | RYA N. S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M Four-star offensive lineman Cooper Cousins of McDowell High in Erie, Pa., was Penn State's only verbally commit- ted prospect in the 2024 cycle as of mid-December. PHOTO BY THOMAS FRANK CARR