Penn State Sports Magazine
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5 6 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 enn State picked up one of its top defensive prospects in the 2025 re- cruiting class when four-star New Jersey linebacker DJ McClary committed on Sept. 24, one day after attending the Nittany Lions' White Out game against Iowa. Listed at 6-foot, 210 pounds, McClary burst onto the scene as a sophomore at Henry Snyder High in Jersey City, total- ing 131 tackles, including 20.5 for loss. Although he missed two early-season games this fall due to a minor injury, the four-star prospect is on pace to have an outstanding season. Through three games, he had racked up 33 tackles, in- cluding 5.5 for loss. While Penn State likes his potential best at linebacker, Snyder High assistant coach Ernest Washington said McClary has been excelling at several positions this season. "He's primarily a Mike linebacker for us, but when we put his highlights to- gether, you'll see clips of him making plays rushing off the end, too," Wash- ington said. "We're mainly just trying to find ways to use his athleticism. He actually came to us as an edge player originally, but our defensive coordinator saw what he brings and wanted to have him at Mike. "He's the great eraser for us," Wash- ington added. "When you put him in the middle, he can do it all. If anything comes his way, he makes sure to shut it down. We've even used him at safety a little bit, too." McClary is the No. 109 overall pros- pect in the 2025 class, as well as the No. 10 linebacker nationally and No. 3 pros- pect in New Jersey, per the On3 Industry Ranking. In addition to his obvious on-field at- tributes, he has been a strong leader for Henry Snyder High, which went 6-4 last season. "He's the guy who's just the perfect example for his teammates," Washington said. "He's not a rah-rah, yelling kind of leader, but he will talk to his teammates and let them know when they need to step it up. But it's never in a loud way. He's great at reading the room and un- derstanding how his teammates react to different things. He's great at leading by example." McClary hasn't been one to open up about his recruitment much, but he took five visits to Penn State, making it clear that the Lions were in a strong position. In August, he announced a top eight that consisted of Michigan, Ohio State, Or- egon, Rutgers, South Carolina, Tennes- see and USC, in addition to PSU. In the end, his relationships with the Nittany Lion coaching staff made the difference. "The first time we went on campus [in November 2022], they offered and told him they're going to recruit him hard, and all of that has been true," Washing- ton said. "They even said that if he re- classified, they'd still have him as one of their top linebackers. That was the first time we stepped on campus, and we re- ally didn't have a relationship with them yet. They've been honest and upfront with us about everything." Back in January, Penn State added former Syracuse recruiting assistant Khalil Ahmad. The relationship with Ahmad, as well as defensive coordinator Manny Diaz, played a big role in Mc- Clary's decision. "Those are our guys," Washington said. "They help us out in any way that they can. Our relationship with Penn State has even gotten better since Khalil got there. We've known him for a long time now. "DJ loves Manny Diaz, and Khalil is another big force in that relationship, too. Also, I have to mention Coach [James] Franklin. Franklin actually re- cruited his older brother. His brother, Isaac Holmes, was a former four-star. He played at Hoboken and stayed close to home and went to Rutgers." Washington added that once McClary is able to focus exclusively on linebacker, the sky's the limit. "What I think will make him so spe- cial down the road is that he doesn't have all the resources that guys have at St. Peter's Prep, Don Bosco and schools like that," he said. "We also have him playing in all three phases of the game right now. So, once he gets to school and is able to focus just on linebacker, he's going to be deadly." ■ Coveted New Jersey Linebacker Joins Lions' 2025 Class RYA N S N Y D E R | R Y A N . S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M McClary played both ways for Henry Snyder High as a sophomore, totaling 131 tackles on defense while rush- ing for 2,107 yards on offense. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER Penn State's string of impact linebackers continues with New Jersey's DJ McClary. He's a "Goldilocks" prospect in that he's not too big or too small. He's not extremely fast, but he's also not slow. McClary is right in the middle of most metrics for his position. He is an excellent athlete in a holistic sense as well. He can cut, has good vision and plays the linebacker position with good instincts for a high school player. Will he be a player worthy of Penn State's fabled No. 11 jersey? It's too early to tell, but the bar is very high. Even if he's not a transformational athlete, he's good enough to rank among the more promising linebackers Penn State has re- cruited in recent years. — Thomas Frank Carr P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N COMMITMENT PROFILE DJ McCLARY