Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1512721
J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 4 5 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M cruitment back in January 2022. The McDowell High prospect holds a four- star rating from each of the major re- cruiting services, with On3 ranking him as the fifth-best interior offensive line- man in the country. H oweve r, wh a t m a ke s C o u s i n s special is his versatility. At 6-6, 305 pounds, he has the size and athleticism to play tackle but also has the overall strength and flexibility to play center or guard. According to the On3 Indus- try Ranking, Cousins is the No. 3 player in Penn State's class. He is set to enroll in January. T.A. Cunningham DL | 6-6 | 275 | Loganville, Ga. After his freshman season at Johns Creek High in Georgia, Cunningham became one of the most coveted pros- pects in the country. Earning more than 50 scholarship offers, he then trans- ferred to Los Alamitos in California for the 2022 season but wasn't cleared to play until halfway through the cam- paign. That was followed by another transfer to Miami Central in April be- fore he ultimately ended up sitting out his senior season altogether due to an undisclosed injury. Once he knew he wasn't going to play, Cunningham transferred to Grayson High in Georgia to be closer to family. A three-star prospect whose only offi- cial visit was to Penn State, Cunningham has tremendous potential but will likely need time to adjust after seeing action in only a handful of games the past two seasons. To help speed his acclimation process, he plans to enroll in January. Tyseer Denmark WR | 5-10 | 185 | Philadelphia After playing multiple seasons at Ro- man Catholic, Denmark transferred last summer to Imhotep Charter, where he teamed up with another future Nittany Lion, cornerback Kenny Woseley. Den- mark earned more than 30 scholarship offers before narrowing his list to Penn State, Oregon and Ohio State in Novem- ber 2022. The three-star prospect com- mitted to Oregon a few days later but began having second thoughts about going across the country and ended up switching his commitment to the Nit- tany Lions in June. Through the first eight games of his senior season, Denmark totaled 27 re- ceptions for 320 yards and 4 touch- downs. Xavier Gilliam DL | 6-2 | 275 | Gaithersburg, Md. Gilliam earned an offer from the Lions in February and was always considered a Penn State lean. He set official visits to Duke, NC State and Virginia Tech in June but ended up canceling them all after his official visit to PSU the first weekend of the month. A three-star prospect, Gilliam totaled 37 tackles, including 14 for loss and 6 sacks, during Quince Orchard High's regular season. He'll be part of the Li- ons' contingent of January enrollees. Peter Gonzalez WR | 6-2 | 200 | Pittsburgh Gonzalez suffered a torn ACL during a seven-on-seven tournament following his sophomore season. After return- ing to Central Catholic midway through his junior season, he earned his offer by camping at Penn State in early June. Virginia Tech hosted him for an offi- cial visit a week later, but he returned to State College that same month for an Although Content With Class, Nittany Lions Keep Their Eyes Open December has become one of the busiest months of the college football calendar, with coaches forced to juggle the transfer portal and early signing period in the middle of their bowl preparations. Compared to many other schools, Penn State is well-positioned to handle those competing demands this year. With 25 players already com- mitted and the overall balance strong at each po- sition, the Nittany Lion coaching staff will be quite content if nothing changes in the final weeks of the 2024 recruiting cycle. That's especially true following James Franklin's decision to fire offen- sive coordinator Mike Yurcich. Staff changes can impact high school recruits, but as of late Novem- ber, nearly all of Penn State's offensive commits had said they don't plan to look around. Although they're content with the class as it stands, Franklin and his staff plan to be aggressive if top prospects become available. Last summer, the Nittany Lions were close to landing four-star wide receiver Nick Marsh of River Rouge, Mich. Marsh committed to Michigan State in July but has been in touch with Penn State since the Spartans decided to part ways with Mel Tucker. Franklin and his staff tried to get Marsh on campus for the Michigan game on Nov. 11, but he didn't make the trip. He did take an official visit to Georgia Tech in October and is planning to see Colorado in December. The Nittany Lions also haven't given up on junior college cornerback Sione Laulea. The College of San Mateo prospect committed to Oregon on Oct. 8 but was believed to be leaning in Penn State's direction at one point. Laulea is one of the nation's best junior college players and would help bridge the gap to some of the younger players in cornerbacks coach Terry Smith's room. Penn State did miss out on a top target in November when offensive lineman Andrew Dennis of Mt. Pleasant, Mich., committed to Illinois. Dennis, who had previously been committed to Michigan State, took official visits to Penn State and Clemson in November before choosing the Illini. — Ryan Snyder Penn State has continued to pursue junior college cornerback Sione Laulea even though he committed to Oregon in October. PHOTO BY SEAN FITZ