Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1503568
A U G U S T 2 0 2 3 9 7 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M F ollowing the addition of four-star defensive end Mylachi Williams on July 8, Penn State was still waiting to hear from a few of the coaching staff's most important prospects in the 2024 class. With 22 players committed, the Nit- tany Lions are believed to have room for another four to six players. Offensive tackle and wide receiver are two posi- tions where Penn State might not be fin- ished, but the defensive line has most of the staff's focus. As of early July, PSU was still in the mix with five defensive linemen, the most notable of whom is Liam Andrews of Brookline, Mass., a four-star prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking. Andrews, a two-way lineman who stands 6-foot-4, 275 pounds, was origi- nally projected by Penn State as an of- fensive prospect. When he revealed a few months ago that he wants to play on defense at the college level, some schools backed off. The Nittany Lions have continued to pursue him as a de- fensive tackle, and now they are battling South Carolina for his signature. Both schools hosted Andrews for of- ficial visits in June. The Lions were be- lieved to be slight favorites. "What separates Penn State is just their consistency and how they've re- cruited me since Day 1," said Andrews, the No. 86 overall prospect nationally and No. 2 player in Massachusetts in the On3 Industry Ranking. "They've been recruiting me hard. "But also, just the conversations with their staff about my interest in playing on the defensive side of the ball [have been good]. They're flexible with that, while being real with me as well." Defensive end Jaylen Harvey of Po- tomac, Md., was also uncommitted as of early July. A four-star prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking and the No. 348 prospect and No. 27 edge rusher nation- ally, Harvey is Penn State's top remaining target at the position now that Williams has joined the class. For months, it was believed the Li- ons were the team to beat with the 6-2, 250-pound Harvey. Following his official visit to Penn State, which took place June 2-4, the Quince Orchard prospect even confirmed that he had set a July 4 com- mitment date. However, subsequent official visits to Maryland, Florida and USC apparently gave Harvey more to think about. He ended up postponing his announcement, with the Terrapins emerging as PSU's primary competitors. The Nittany Lions are also pursuing two other four-star defensive ends in Nigel Smith of Melissa, Texas, and Brian Robinson of Austintown, Ohio. Penn State appeared to be well-po- sitioned to land Robinson following his official visit on June 13-15, but Kentucky is now seen as his favorite. He's been quiet about his top schools and when he may decide. Robinson is ranked No. 132 nationally by On3 and No. 7 among edge rushers. Smith took official visits this sum- mer to Penn State, Ohio State, Okla- homa, Rutgers and Texas A&M. He ap- pears to be in no rush to decide. With the NCAA now allowing players to take more than five official visits, he's plan- ning to check out Texas in early Sep- tember. Most believe that Oklahoma is the team to beat. One other defensive tackle to moni- tor is T.A. Cunningham, a four-star prospect who is ranked No. 258 over- all and No. 28 at his position. The 6-6, 275-pound Cunningham attends Miami Central and is the No. 37 prospect in Florida. His only official visit in June was to Penn State, so the Lions appear to be in a strong position. Cunningham is aiming to decide before the start of his season. At offensive tackle and wide receiver, PSU was still in the mix with a few play- ers, although it likely had work to do with all of them. Three-star offensive lineman Tye Hylton of Oviedo, Fla., was still con- sidering the Lions alongside Florida, Florida State and Miami. He took an of- ficial visit to PSU in June but is expected to play closer to home. While the Nittany Lions already have three receivers in their class, assistant coach Marques Hagans is interested in adding a fourth. One possibility is four- star prospect Jonathan Paylor of Burl- ington, N.C. South Carolina is consid- ered the favorite to sign Paylor, but Penn State hopes to get him on campus for an official visit during the season. As of July 11, Penn State's class was eighth nationally in the On3 Industry Ranking team standings. ■ Defensive Line Is Nittany Lions' Priority In Push To Complete 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 prospect Liam Andrews of Brookline, Mass., is the Nittany Lions' top remaining target on the defensive line. PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE