Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1507572
O C T O 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 players, checking in at No. 105 overall in the class, per the On3 Industry Rank- ing. He also has ties to the Nittany Lion football program; he's the younger cousin of current Penn State sophomore safety Kevin Winston Jr. "I thought the game was really fun," Winston said. "The environment was en- ergetic, and a lot of people, including the fans, were showing me love." Even though Winston already holds 20 scholarship offers, Penn State is the only school he has visited so far. His first visit was in July for the Lasch Bash Barbecue, and the Nittany Lions made a positive first impression, particularly safeties coach Anthony Poindexter. "Coach Dex is a great coach and just a great role model as well," Winston said. "We talked a lot throughout the day. He's someone that I think anyone would want to get coached by. We were chopping it up during lunch, and I felt like I knew him for years. He also taught me some things during the day in and outside of football." Exinor, who plays at McDonogh, also has ties to the program. Penn State re- cruiting coordinator Kenny Sanders hap- pens to be friends with Exinor's family, dating back to his time at McDonogh. That connection has given PSU an early edge regarding visits, with Exinor having traveled to campus four times since June 2022. Still, one part of his recruitment that is unclear is which position Exinor will play at the college level. Initially a defen- sive end, the 6-1, 210-pound prospect has turned his attention to wide receiver as an upperclassman and may even develop As of mid-September, Penn State continued to hold firm with 24 com- mitments in its 2024 recruiting class. Despite having room in the class for additional players, head coach James Franklin and his assistants have been focused on keeping their committed players from looking elsewhere, while also establishing relationships with prospects in the 2025 class. However, there are still a few key positions that will bear watching as the fall progresses. On offense, Penn State remains interested in adding a wide receiver and a tackle. On Sept. 8, Franklin and offensive line coach Phil Trautwein stopped at Pope John Paul II High School in Royerford, Pa., to meet with the coaches of offensive tackle Kevin Heywood, a four-star prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking. Listed at 6-foot-7, 295 pounds, Heywood surprised some observers in June when he committed to Wisconsin before taking any other official visits. Prior to that, he had taken six unofficial visits to Penn State and just one unofficial trip to Wisconsin. Nonetheless, he's held firm with his com- mitment ever since. Heywood is the nation's No. 247 overall prospect amd No. 19 offensive tackle, and the No. 3 player in Pennsylvania, per the On3 Industry Ranking. At wide receiver, there's no shortage of potential targets for the staff. New Jersey prospect Jaylan Hornsby, a three-star Texas A&M commit, is one player to monitor. Listed at 6-2, 200 pounds, Hornsby is coached by former Penn State players Bill Belton and Christian Hackenberg at Winslow Town- ship High. He also has multiple teammates who hold offers from Penn State and plans to visit later this year. We'll be paying close attention to see if Hornsby shows interest in PSU. He's the No. 72 wide receiver in the On3 Industry Ranking, which pools the grades from the four major recruiting services. On3's scouts have Hornsby rated higher, listing him 51st among receivers nationally. Penn State also remains interested in four-star pass catchers Nick Marsh of River Rouge, Mich., Chance Robinson of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Rico Scott of Harrisburg, Pa. On the defensive side of the ball, Penn State is continuing to pursue four-star edge rusher Jaylen Harvey of Quince Orchard High in Potomac, Md. Listed at 6-2, 250 pounds, Harvey recently announced a top three of Penn State, Maryland and USC. He was considering a commitment in early September but elected to hold off. In August, Harvey took an unofficial visit to USC for its Week 0 game against San Jose State. The nation's No. 27 edge rusher in the On3 Industry Ranking, he is now planning visits to Maryland and Penn State in the weeks ahead and is expected to decide at some point in the near future. His Penn State visit will likely be for the White Out game against Iowa on Sept. 23. Other defensive players who remain in the mix include edge rusher Brian Robinson of Westerville, Ohio, defensive lineman Ernest Willor Jr. of Baltimore, and linebacker Elijah Newby of Cheshire, Conn. All have received four stars in the On3 Industry Ranking. — Ryan Snyder Sharlandiin Strange is a four-star defensive end from Cheltenham, Pa., near Philadelphia. He's already made several visits to Penn State and said that staying close to home is a priority for him and his family. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER Nittany Lions Still Working To Complete 2024 Class