Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1499919
J U N E / J U L Y 2 0 2 3 4 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M W ith 14 commitments as of May 21, Penn State head coach James Franklin and his staff still have plenty of work ahead of them as they as- semble the class of 2024. Initial projections had the Nittany Li- ons welcoming about 27 players in this re- cruiting cycle. If that's still the case, PSU was about halfway finished heading into June, which is always one of the busiest months of the recruiting calendar. Although official visits have been per- mitted since April, Penn State and most other Division I programs prefer to wait until June to welcome players to campus. That's the final month they can use be- fore the season starts. With hundreds of the nation's best prospects expected to commit before their respective seasons, Penn State's goal is to leave a strong final impression before the July dead period begins. The NCAA allows schools to host 62 official visits this year, and Penn State is on pace to use roughly 75 percent of that total by the end of June. As of late May, Blue White Illustrated had confirmed 45 official visits in June, including all 14 of the Nittany Lions' committed players. The first weekend, June 2-4, is pro- jected to feature the smallest group of visitors, with just eight players con- firmed. That contingent includes two wide receivers who have earned four-star designations in the On3 Industry Rank- ing: Chance Robinson (No. 134 overall) of Miami and NiTareon Tuggle of South Bend, Ind. Both players are committed elsewhere, Robinson to Miami and Tug- gle to Georgia, but they have remained in steady contact with Penn State's coaches. Other expected visitors that weekend include three-star linebacker Kari Jack- son of Bloomfield, Mich., who is already verbally committed to PSU, and a trio of players who are believed to be leaning to- ward the Nittany Lions: four-star defen- sive end Jaylen Harvey of Potomac, Md., four-star safety DeJuan Lane of Baltimore and three-star defensive lineman Xavier Gilliam of Columbia, Md. June 9-11 is expected to be the busiest weekend, with 21 players confirmed to be visiting. That total includes Penn State's 13 remaining committed players, leaving eight uncommitted prospects to know. Of those eight, six rank within the On300: tight end Caleb Odom (No. 37), corner- back Jameer Grimsley (No. 77), safety Vaboue Toure (No. 133), wide receiver Nick Marsh (No. 137), defensive lineman Nigel Smith (No. 160) and edge rusher Mylachi Williams (No. 205). Penn State has already earned three commitments from cornerbacks in the 2024 cycle, meaning that it doesn't nec- essarily have to add another. But Grims- ley, who hails from Tampa, is consid- ered too good to pass up and is the staff's top remaining target at the position. He stands 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, and many scouts have compared him to former Nit- tany Lion All-American Joey Porter Jr. Marsh, who stands 6-3, 198 pounds, may well be Penn State's top receiver tar- get in the class. The River Rouge, Mich., native has scheduled official visits to Au- burn and Michigan State. A consensus four-star prospect, he previously com- mitted to the Spartans, only to open up his recruitment during the spring. Because of that, many believe that Penn State holds an edge over Spartans coach Mel Tucker SUMMER HEAT With a busy slate of official visits set to take place in June, Penn State looks to expand its 2024 class RYA N S N Y D E R | R YA N. S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M FOOTBALL RECRUITING Four-star receiver Nick Marsh of River Rouge, Mich., and his mother have already been to campus and are set to return the weekend of June 9-11. Previously committed to Michigan State, Marsh is believed to be Penn State's top target at the position. PHOTO COURTESY MARSH FAMILY