Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1509432
5 2 N O V E M B E R 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 P hiladelphia native Tyseer Den- mark made headlines in Au- gust when he announced that he was planning to finish his high school career at Imhotep Charter. Last November, Denmark and his teammates at Roman Catholic High squared off against Imhotep, a PIAA Class 5A powerhouse, in the Philadelphia City Champion- ship Game. Imhotep won 14-6, bringing an end to a junior season in which Denmark caught 35 passes for 665 yards and 7 touchdowns. Nine months later, the future Penn State wideout joined the Panthers, who ended their 2022 season with a 28-14 loss to Pine- Richland in the Class 5A state title game. Denmark has made a smooth transition to his new school. Play- ing alongside a handful of Division I prospects, including fellow Penn State commit Kenny Woseley Jr., a three-star cornerback in the 2024 class, Denmark was leading the team through its first five games with 21 receptions for 208 yards and 2 touchdowns. Denmark has received a four- star grade in the On3 Industry Ranking and is the No. 378 overall pros- pect and the No. 64 wide receiver in his class, as well as the No. 7 player in Penn- sylvania. Imhotep offensive coordinator Glenn Hutton said he was thrilled to learn that the talented wideout would be joining his team. "Before I found out that he was com- ing over, I already thought that offen- sively, we had enough to get it done for the year," Hutton said. "But then, finding out that Tyseer was coming, I was like, 'Wow, this changes things. This changes our offense.' "Obviously, I was excited. When I first got to meet him, I asked him what he's here to do. He said right away that he's here to help the team win and do what- ever he had to do. I thought that was the perfect answer." Most of Imhotep's key offensive con- tributors had been working in Hutton's offense for a few years when the season began. Denmark, by contrast, had only a few weeks to get adjusted, but the coach was impressed with how quickly he tran- sitioned into a new system. "When I think about how much we've thrown at him in that time … he's done very well," Hutton said. "I think as a coach, sometimes I need to remind my- self of that. "We'll be in the heat of the game, and I want everything to go perfect, yet I have a player out there who's been learning everything on the fly in just a couple of weeks. "But I think he's picked up the offense fast, and that's a credit to Tyseer. I haven't really had to hold back at all when it comes to the installation of our offense. We've been force-feeding it at times, and he's done a great job picking it all up." One factor that helped with his transition was that Denmark played seven-on-seven last spring with Imhotep quarterback Mikal Davis Jr. and a few of his other cur- rent teammates. While the scheme and plays were different, the familiarity between the players contributed to Den- mark's early-season success. "They already had some cama- raderie and connection with each other," Hutton said. "In some ways, they picked up where they left off." Imhotep is chasing a state cham- pionship this year after falling just short last December. The Panthers have been to the PIAA final seven times in the past decade but have only won it once. This year, Imhotep is off to a 5-0 start, and Hutton said Denmark has been a strong addition to the Panthers' roster. "He's come in and has shown he wants to work," Hutton said. "He's not compla- cent at all. "I've had the opportunity to coach several high-profile wide receivers. When some of those guys make their commitment, that's it for them. "That hasn't been Tyseer at all. He's constantly wanted to get better. "The natural ability is definitely there as well. He bends really well for a wide receiver. He gets in and out of his breaks really well. He's not just fast, he's quick, Receiver Commit Tyseer Denmark Is Now At Imhotep Charter Denmark committed to Penn State in June after a junior season at Philadelphia Roman Catholic in which he caught 35 passes for 665 yards and 7 touchdowns. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER