Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1495456
5 6 A P R I L 2 0 2 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Michigan, Ohio State, Stanford and Ten- nessee. Offensive Line Projected Take: 4 to 6 With nine scholarship linemen hold- ing either junior, senior or super senior eligibility in 2023, Penn State is expected to sign at least four players at this position group. Four-star interior lineman Cooper Cousins of Erie, Pa., On3's No. 17 interior offensive lineman nationally, has already committed, giving the staff an opportu- nity to focus on landing offensive tackles. Penn State's top tackle prospects are Kevin Heywood of Royersford, Pa., the No. 13 offensive tackle and No. 2 player in Pennsylvania according to On3; De- ontae Armstrong of Lakewood, Ohio, the No. 19 offensive tackle in the land; Liam Andrews of Brookline, Mass., the No. 3 interior offensive lineman in the country; Ethan Calloway of Moores- ville, N.C., On3's No. 8 offensive tackle nationally and No. 2 prospect in North Carolina; Guerby Lambert of West Rox- bury, Mass., the country's No. 4 OT; and Blake Frazier of Austin, Texas, the No. 19 interior offen- sive lineman nationally. All six hold four-star ratings. Heywood appears to be the most realistic option, although all six players are planning to visit at some point this spring or summer. Assistant coach Phil Trautwein is also targeting a few interior linemen as well, with four-star Ohio native William Satterwhite ranking as the top target. Satter- white, of Akron, visited in No- vember and January and is ex- pected to return in April for the Blue-White Game. Devontae Armstrong, twin brother of Deontae, is also in the mix. However, both brothers also added an offer from Ohio State in recent months, and many believe the Buckeyes will be hard to beat. Devontae is rated as the No. 25 offensive tackle in the country, while Deontae is listed at No. 19 nationally at the position. Two others to keep an eye on are three- star prospects Jake Guarnera of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., and Caleb Brewer of Wyomissing, Pa. Guarnera is expected to visit this spring, while Brewer is the former teammate of Penn State freshman lineman J'ven Williams, an On3 five-star prospect in the 2023 class. Defensive End Projected Take: 2 or 3 Just like the offensive front, Penn State's defensive line also has room for quite a few additions. Five-star defensive end Dylan Stew- art of Friendship Collegiate Academy in Washington, D.C., was recently named the top prospect in the country by On3. He's set to visit Penn State on April 7. It will be his third trip to campus, but he's not going to be an easy pull. Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State are all serious play- ers, and he's already made five visits to South Carolina. Four-star Mylachi Williams from Monsignor Bonner High in Philadelphia, the No. 3 prospect in Pennsylvania ac- cording to On3, earned his first Power Five offer from the Lions in January, and more than two dozen schools have since joined the pursuit. Maryland native Jaylen Harvey, who holds a three-star rating, is believed to be leaning in Penn State's direction. The Quince Orchard High standout is in no rush to decide but has visited Penn State six times. Others to keep an eye on include Jacob Smith of Cheshire (Conn.) Academy, the No. 29 edge in the nation; Brian Robin- son of Austintown, Ohio, the No. 16 edge in the land; and Benedict Umeh of Avon (Conn.) Old Farms. Umeh grew up in To- ronto, and after playing just one season of American high school football, he's ranked No. 24 overall and as the No. 4 defensive lineman in the country by On3. Defensive Tackle Projected Take: 3 or 4 Penn State needs both quality and quantity when it comes to the defensive tackle position. Jordan Thomas of Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, N.J., On3's No. 13 de- fensive lineman and No. 3 player in New Jersey, is likely the Lions' most important target, but Er- nest Willor of Baltimore, the na- tion's No. 19 defensive lineman; Nigel Smith of Melissa, Texas, the No. 10 defensive lineman in the country; Hevin Brown- Shuler of Atlanta, the No. 23 de- fensive lineman in the land; and Jerod Smith of Cheshire (Conn.) Academy also sit in that top tier. Smith is a three-star prospect, while the others hold four-star ratings. Three-star Deyvid Palepale of Landisville, Pa.; four-star DD Holmes of Washington, D.C., the No. 16 defensive lineman in the country; and three-star Jayden Jackson of IMG Academy in Bra- denton, Fla., are also possibili- ties. Palepale has visited Penn State more than any other school so far, but he's expected to check out a handful of new schools this spring. Following the loss of John Penn State has already earned commitments from two linebackers in its 2024 class, but it continues to chase four-star prospect Kris Jones of Stafford, Va. Jones has made five visits to PSU, the most recent coming in mid-January. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER