Penn State Sports Magazine
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5 4 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M consin also hosting him at least once. The four-star prospect is rated among the nation's best interior offensive line prospects, checking in at No. 91 nation- ally and third overall at his position, per the On3 Industry Ranking. Goodman earned an offer from Penn State in October and visited just a few weeks later, attending the Nov. 11 game against Michigan. The 6-5, 295-pound offensive tackle also went to Boston College, Maryland, Nebraska and Rut- gers in the fall. He holds a three-star grade in the On3 Industry Ranking. Both Blair, from Winston Salem, N.C., and Sacca, from Delran, N.J., rank among Penn State's top defensive re- cruits in the class. Blair is a four-star prospect and the 117th-ranked player in the country. He has consistently made it clear the Li- ons are early favorites. Listed at 6-4, 180 pounds, he has also traveled to Duke, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Louisville, Maryland, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest since the spring of 2023. Sacca resides in New Jersey but plays at St. Joseph's Prep in Philadelphia. Just like Carroll, he has deep ties to the pro- gram; his father is former Nittany Lion quarterback Tony Sacca. The 6-2, 225-pound linebacker has been to Penn State more than any other school, but his most recent visit was more than a year ago, in October 2022. That makes his upcoming trip a pivotal one for the staff. Sacca, who has a four-star grade in the On3 Industry Ranking and is listed as the nation's No. 196 overall prospect, was ex- pected to visit Wisconsin on Jan. 13. In addition, Notre Dame and Michigan are working to get him on campus in January. Ohio State hosted him twice in 2023. With the February junior day still a few weeks away, the list of attendees isn't yet complete. Still, the confirmed visitors are all prominent, and they in- clude the nation's top-ranked defensive end, Ari Watford of Norfolk, Va. Listed as the No. 20 overall prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking, Watford is in a good position to become a five-star player by the end of the 2025 cycle. He's totaled more than 40 scholarship offers over the past two years but announced on Jan. 8 that Penn State, Clemson, Ohio State, South Carolina, Syracuse and Virginia Tech were the six schools standing out the most. Watford hasn't been very active so far Lions Eye Maryland Cornerback As Potential Addition To 2024 Class Penn State signed all 25 of its committed players in December, but James Franklin and his staff have not ruled out further additions in February to their 2024 class. One such player emerged in late December when three-star cornerback Kevyn Humes of Mitch- ellville, Md., informed On3 national recruiting analyst Chad Simmons that he planned to reclassify from the 2025 class to 2024. Listed at 5-foot-11, 170 pounds, Humes decided shortly after his junior season at St. Frances Academy to make the move, giving him an opportunity in January to squeeze in official visits to his top schools. Penn State was one of the first schools to lock in a visit, with his trip to State College set to take place Jan. 19-21. He was also slated to visit Syracuse, USC, Notre Dame and Florida. On3's scouts have assigned Humes a three-star grade, but he has a four-star rating in the On3 Industry Ranking, which averages the grades from the four major recruiting websites. He said his rapport with cornerbacks coach Terry Smith is a major reason why the Lions are in the mix. "He's a great coach, and he's produced some top defensive backs," Humes said. "He had [an early second-round] pick last year in Joey Porter Jr., and Kalen King could be next. That development has my attention." Four Nittany Lions Play In All-Star Games Four members of Penn State's 2024 class participated in two of the nation's premier high school all-star games. On Jan. 3, quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer of Lewis Center, Ohio, and offensive lineman Donovan Harbour of Waukesha, Wis., played for Team Fire in the 2024 Under Armour All- America Game in Orlando, Fla. Statistically, Grunkemeyer didn't have the game he hoped for, completing 7 of 16 pass attempts for 43 yards with 2 interceptions. Still, the practices leading up to the game are oftentimes the best place to evaluate players, and Grunkemeyer earned strong reviews from his coaches. "He carries himself like a professional," Team Fire quarterbacks coach Tyler Schneider said. "He's early to meetings, asks good questions. That's a big key." On Jan. 6, tight end Luke Reynolds of Westford, Mass., and offensive lineman Cooper Cousins of Erie, Pa., played for the East team in the U.S. All-American Bowl in San Antonio. Cousins earned strong reviews for his performance from On3 national scout Cody Bellaire. "Cooper Cousins was the most dominant offensive lineman throughout the entire week of All- American practice, and he shined during the game on Saturday afternoon," Bellaire wrote. "Cousins was one of the more physically dominant players throughout practice, using his leverage to get un- derneath defenders' pads and create lanes in the run game during team periods and the game." — Ryan Snyder Pennsylvania offensive lineman Michael Carroll has made five visits to PSU so far. He's the son of former Nittany Lion linebacker Mike Carroll. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER