Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1505736
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 3 5 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M scholarship offer in March, and the in- terest is mutual. During the Lasch Bash, he met with offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich and graduate assistant Danny O'Brien. "It was awesome," Kritza said. "I just see myself fitting in so well here. It re- ally is a family. Coach Franklin is one of the best head coaches to do it, and the staff he has around him, with Coach Yurcich and Coach O'Brien, I couldn't have been any happier. I love everything about Penn State and can't wait to start making some decisions soon." Kritza holds nine scholarship offers. He said Penn State, Texas A&M and Mi- ami have developed the strongest rela- tionships with him to this point. Two other notable attendees were de- fensive lineman Dilan Battle of Arling- ton, Texas, and offensive lineman Owen Aliciene of Avon, Conn. Battle, who stands 6-3, 315 pounds, earned an offer from the Nittany Lions in May. A standout at Mansfield Tim- berview High, he had previously visited Arkansas, Ohio State, TCU, Texas and Texas A&M. This was his first trip to Penn State, and he appreciated the op- portunity to meet with defensive line coach Deion Barnes and graduate as- sistant Torrence Brown, both of whom played for the Nittany Lions before moving into coaching at their alma ma- ter. "One thing I liked was how the com- mits were interacting with Coach Brown and Coach Barnes. It was like they were family," Battle said. "I also like Coach Brown. We were talking about a lot, but what stood out to me was that both coaches were in my shoes. They both were getting recruited, and they both chose Penn State." Battle holds a three-star rating from On3's scouts but has received four stars in the Industry Ranking and is the No. 285 prospect nationally, No. 29 defen- sive lineman and No. 50 player in Texas. Aliciene, meanwhile, is the No. 441 overall prospect, No. 32 offensive tackle and No. 4 player in Connecticut, per the Industry Ranking. The three-star line- man visited State College in March and earned an offer from Penn State in May. Lions' Remaining 2024 Priorities: Cornerback, Defensive End, Wide Receiver Penn State's 2024 recruiting class made a significant move in July, rising to the No. 7 spot in the On3 Industry Team Ranking. In addition to landing commit- ments from three four-star pros- pects, two of whom rank among the top 100 nationally (defensive linemen Liam Andrews and My- lachi Williams), the Nittany Lions saw a handful of committed play- ers improve their ratings following strong camp performances. Those factors helped PSU jump from No. 10 to No. 7 in early July. As of mid- August, the class had settled back in at No. 10 following prominent commitments elsewhere. With 24 players committed, the Lions' class is roughly 90 percent complete. BWI estimates that Penn State could welcome up to 28 pros- pects, but coach James Franklin and his assistants won't add play- ers just to boost their numbers. The staff will be looking to find pros- pects who can contribute. As long as it doesn't lose a cur- rently committed player at quar- terback, running back or tight end, Penn State appears to be finished at those three positions. Other position groups could see additions, however, with three spots standing out in particular — cornerback, defensive end and wide receiver. At cornerback, assistant coach Terry Smith is likely to lose three upperclassmen after the 2023 season, creating a potential void in experience. Smith was able to add former Mississippi State cornerback Audavion Collins via the transfer portal in May, but Collins has limited game experience. That's one of the reasons why junior college prospect Sione Laulea remains a priority. A native of San Mateo, Calif., Laulea has traveled across the country twice this summer to meet with the Nittany Lions. He announced a top five on Aug. 1 that included Penn State, Oregon, Oklahoma, Miami and USC. A commitment is expected this fall from the four-star defensive back from the College of San Mateo. Defensive end is another position that remains in the spotlight. Nigel Smith II of Melissa, Texas, has Penn State among his top schools, but it appears the Lions have a better shot at landing Jaylen Harvey. A native of Gaithersburg, Md., Harvey has visited Penn State 10 times since April 2022, which is by far the most of any school. Florida, Maryland and USC also hosted him for official visits this summer. Harvey has received a three-star rating from On3's scouts but is a four-star prospect in the Industry Ranking, which combines the grades from the four top recruiting sites. Even if Penn State were to land the 6-foot-2, 250-pound Harvey, it would likely continue to pursue Smith. A four-star prospect, Smith stands 6-4, 265 pounds, making him versatile enough to play inside or outside at the next level. However, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Texas have all hosted him at least six times, and he's believed to be favoring the SEC. He'll take an official visit to Texas Sept. 1-2. Wide receiver is also a position to watch. Four-star prospect Hardley Gilmore of Belle Glade, Fla., took an official visit to Penn State in June and will announce his decision later in August. After revealing a top three consisting of Penn State, Kentucky and UCF on July 24, he took an unofficial visit to Miami a few days later. The 6-1, 165-pound receiver was believed to be leaning toward Kentucky. — Ryan Snyder Defensive end Jaylen Harvey, a four-star prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking, has visited Penn State 10 times since April 2022. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER