Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1512721
J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 4 51 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M A s has often been the case during James Franklin's tenure as head coach, Penn State put together the majority of its 2024 recruiting class in the offseason. From July to early Decem- ber, the Nittany Lions added just one player to the class — edge rusher Jaylen Harvey. Like all good recruiters, Franklin and his staff were continuing to search for potential impact players down the stretch, but with the early signing period set to begin on Dec. 20, Penn State was feeling good about its class. According to On3's Team Rankings, the 2024 class ranked No. 14 in the na- tion and third in the Big Ten heading into the final weeks of the cycle, trailing Ohio State (No. 2 nationally) and Oregon (No. 6). The On3 Industry Ranking, which combines player ratings from the four major recruiting sites for a cumulative grade, has the Lions with 15 four-star and 10 three-star prospects. Only the 2022 and 2019 Penn State classes fea- tured more four- or five-star talent, with both classes boasting 16 such players. There's still time for Penn State to potentially add to its class, but with the early signing period fast approaching, these are the players we expect to join the Nittany Lions: Liam Andrews DL | 6-4 | 275 | Brookline, Mass. A four-star prospect from Dexter Southfield, which is located outside of Boston, Andrews was one of Penn State's most coveted players in the class. Earning nearly 30 scholarship offers, he took official visits to PSU, South Carolina and Wisconsin in June before ultimately deciding to commit to the Nittany Lions on July 21. Listed by On3 as the No. 4 athlete and No. 120 overall prospect nationally, An- drews has the potential to play offensive line at the next level but will begin his Penn State career as a defensive tackle. He was pursued by Florida, LSU, Michi- gan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Tennessee, but he chose PSU and will enroll in January. Antoine Belgrave-Shorter CB | 6-0 | 175 | Jacksonville, Fla. Belgrave-Shorter was a teammate of Jon Mitchell, another Penn State- bound cornerback, at Mandarin High. Like Mitchell, Belgrave-Shorter took three visits to Penn State, first attending the White Out game against Minnesota in October 2022 before returning in late March to watch spring practice. After Mitchell announced his commitment to PSU on April 1, Belgrave-Shorter fol- lowed nine days later. A three-star prospect and a projected January enrollee, he primarily consid- ered Kentucky, Miami, Mississippi, South Carolina and UCF. As a senior, Belgrave-Shorter totaled 56 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 6 pass deflections and 2 interceptions. Eagan Boyer OL | 6-8 | 250 | Cornelius, N.C. Offensive line coach Phil Trautwein was looking to improve Penn State's size at the tackle spots, and the 6-foot-8 Boyer certainly fits that mold. Play- ing at William Amos Hough outside of Charlotte, Boyer visited Penn State for the first time on April 1. Auburn, Clem- son, Notre Dame and Tennessee were also involved, but after wrapping up a tour of several schools in March and April, Boyer committed to Penn State on April 25. A three-star prospect, Boyer is the 26th-ranked offensive tackle nation- ally according to On3. He is expected to enroll in January. Caleb Brewer OL | 6-4 | 295 | Reading, Pa. Brewer was a teammate of current Penn State freshman tackle J'ven Wil- liams at Wyomissing High during his sophomore and junior seasons. A three- star prospect, Brewer visited Penn State four times before publicly committing on April 15, the day of the Blue-White Game. Brewer is the fourth prospect from Berks County to commit to Penn State in the past three classes, joining Wil- liams, tight end Joey Schlaffer and run- ning back Nicholas Singleton. Earning more than two dozen offers, Boyer was primarily considering Michigan and Notre Dame leading up to his commit- ment. He's expected to begin his col- legiate career as an offensive guard and will enroll in January. Nittany Lions Are Well-Positioned With December Signing Period Approaching RYA N S N Y D E R | RYA N . S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M FOOTBALL RECRUITING Luke Reynolds, a four-star tight end from Cheshire (Conn.) Academy, is the highest-rated prospect in Penn State's class. He's the No. 38 overall prospect and No. 3 tight end nationally in On3's rankings. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER