Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1511150
D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 5 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State is involved with more than 70 prospects w h o i n O c to b e r we re named to the updated On300 list for the class of 2025. Of those players, two are already verbally committed to the Nit- tany Lions: linebacker DJ Mc- Clary and safety Omari Gaines, both of whom reside in New Jersey. McClary, a 6-foot, 210-pound prospect from Henry Snyder High in Jersey City, is listed 65th overall by On3's scouts. He's also the No. 11 linebacker na- tionally and the No. 2 prospect in New Jersey. McClary has been a standout on both sides of the ball dur- ing his junior season at Henry Snyder. He totaled 83 tackles through eight games, including 13 for loss, while also rushing for 1,181 yards and 6 touchdowns and passing for 671 yards and another 7 scores. In a game against Hoboken on Oct. 6, McClary scored all 6 touchdowns for his team, in- cluding a 90-yard interception return for a score. He did just about everything on offense, totaling 105 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns while also complet- ing 6 of 8 pass attempts for 68 yards and 2 more scores through the air. Add in 5 tackles at linebacker, including 1 tackle for loss, and it's easy to see why Penn State made McClary one of its top recruits in the class. Charles Power, On3's director of scouting, said McClary's versatility is one of the primary reasons for his high rating. "He ran for over 2,500 yards as a sophomore and had over 100 tackles, so he's a guy who gets it done on both sides of the ball," Power said. "At around 6-foot-and-a-half, 210 [pounds], he runs pretty well with a 4.7 in the 40- yard dash at the Under Armour Regional this offseason. He's a guy who has a lot of great football instincts and makes plays all over the field. "I think as a linebacker, he triggers quickly and makes a lot of plays around the line of scrimmage. He has the ca- pacity to play in space with his athleti- cism, too. He closes quickly and is an active, violent finisher. He's great on contact and plays with a ton of physi- cality. He's not a guy who will blow you away with his frame or from a stature perspective, but I think he's a guy who plays well in space. "Overall, he's a really good football player. When he's able to focus on one position, he should be a guy who con- tinues to get better at Penn State." Power also likes Gaines' poten- tial at the college level. A 6-2, 175-pound safety from Mal- colm X Shabazz High in New- ark, Gaines was the first player to commit to Penn State's 2025 recruiting class. He's held firm with that decision ever since, visiting State College seven times, most recently for the Li- ons' home game against Massa- chusetts on Oct. 14. Gaines is listed No. 186 over- all by On3 while also rated 16th among safeties nationally and eighth among all prospects in New Jersey. "With Omari Gaines, I think you start off with his combina- tion of frame and ball skills," Power said. "He has plus length at the position with arms close to 33 inches. He's tall. … He's pretty physical, and he's not shying away from contact as a defender. "I think he's shown some en- couraging signs with just his physicality, his length and ball skills, which are all important things you need at safety. A lot of his plays so far this season are him com- ing downhill, playing in the box. Be- cause of that, we haven't gotten a great indication of seeing him on an island or seeing his top-end speed. A lot of his plays are in confined areas, so that's the main thing moving forward. I want to see where he stacks up from a speed perspective." Josiah Brown Suffers Season-Ending Knee Injury It's been a tough year for Penn State's verbally committed players when it comes to injuries. In September, running back Corey Smith of Catholic Memorial High in Wisconsin and linebacker Kari Jackson of West Bloomfield High in Michigan DJ McClary, Omari Gaines Listed In On300 For 2025 Class RYA N S N Y D E R | RYA N . S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M DJ McClary is listed as the No. 65 overall player and No. 11 linebacker nationally in the 2025 class by On3. He made 83 tackles, including 13 for loss, in the first eight games of his junior season at Henry Snyder High in Jersey City, N.J. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER