Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1516624
M A R C H 2 0 2 4 3 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / P L A Y E R B I O S / / / / / / / Y ou won't find many players who did more to earn their scholarship offer than wide receiver Peter Gonzalez. A native of Mars, Pa., Gonzalez emerged as a talented prospect during his sophomore season at Pittsburgh Central Catholic, totaling 422 yards receiving and 4 touchdowns that year. However, just when he was starting to attract the attention of college coaches, Gonzalez suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament during a seven-on-seven com- petition in January 2022. Although he still earned a verbal scholarship offer from Penn State just a few weeks later, the Nit- tany Lion coaches and their counterparts at other schools made it clear at the time that his recovery would have a big impact on his recruitment moving forward. After missing the first few games of the 2022 season, Gonzalez came back earlier than expected and put up some impres- sive stats, totaling 42 receptions for 737 yards and 8 touchdowns. He had shown that he was still a very productive player at the high school level, but schools were still eager to see if he was at the level he needed to be athletically. Gonzalez's first opportunity to prove himself came in the spring of 2023 when he decided to run track for the first time. He caught everyone's attention when he posted a 10.86-second 100-meter time. Later, while attending the New Jersey UC Report Camp, he turned in a 4.49-second 40-yard dash. Everything started to shift after that. "There's definitely been a big uptick in interest from Penn State since the UC Report Camp," Gonzalez said at the time. "I actually found out about my time through them. One of their coaches texted me saying, 'I see you running that 4.49.' I didn't even realize I ran that time. I had to go look it up, and that's when I saw the graphic on Twitter. "But there's definitely been more and more conversations since then. They said I answered the biggest question for them." Gonzalez flashed his athleticism again in early June when he attended Penn State's Elite Prospect Showcase. In addi- tion to backing up his 40-yard time that day, he posted a 4.2-second shuttle and surpassed 32 feet in the triple broad jump, which measures explosion. Breaking 30 feet is considered excellent. Thirty-two feet is rare for someone his age. Within a matter of days, Penn State locked in an official visit with Gonzalez for June 16-18. By the time he left campus, he was ready to decide, announcing his commitment about a week later. "Through the ups and downs, they've been pretty consistent," Gonzalez said. "They were one of the first schools to of- fer me, and Coach [Terry] Smith has been consistent the whole way." Gonzalez put together another strong performance in his final season at Central Catholic, totaling 47 receptions for 1,081 yards. Now he's ready to begin the next phase of his career when he joins the Nit- tany Lions later this year. "They've been very honest with my family, which we value a lot," he said. "After everything I've been through and everything I've done, I feel like I've truly earned my spot there. I feel like I earned the respect of the people there, which makes it feel like home." — Ryan Snyder WR | 6-2 | 205 Central Catholic Mars, Pa. Rankings Stars Nat. Pos. State On3 Industry ★★★ 808 125 18 On3 ★★★★ — 56 8 ESPN ★★★ — 71 22 Rivals ★★★ — — 29 247Sports ★★★ — 82 9 Statistics • Holds Pittsburgh Central Catholic's career record with 2,240 receiving yards • Had 47 receptions for 1,081 yards and 12 touchdowns as a senior • Totaled 42 receptions for 737 yards and 8 touchdowns as a junior Notable • Was a first-team all-state choice in 2022 and '23 • Named to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Fab 22 squad • Was a finalist in the 4x100-meter relay at the PIAA Track and Field Championships Recruitment • Committed to Penn State on June 23, 2023 • Recruited by cornerbacks coach Terry Smith and receivers coach Marques Hagans • Picked Penn State over Pitt, Virginia Tech and Wisconsin • Officially visited on June 16, 2023 2024 Projection Central Catholic doesn't allow its students to graduate early, which means Gonzalez won't ar- rive at Penn State until the summer. Given that he won't be participating in spring practice, a redshirt season appears likely, but it's no secret that the Lions need help at the wide receiver position. They Said It BWI analyst Thomas Frank Carr: "Gonza- lez will need to improve his route running and understanding of the position, but he's got the skills to be the team's go-to target in an offense. Finding a player with his combination of size, highlight-reel hands and athleticism is rare. Finding him as an under-recruited three-star is even more of a win for Penn State. It's never guaranteed, but Gonzalez represents the full package at wide receiver." Gonzalez bounced back from a knee injury following his sophomore season, totaling 1,818 receiving yards in his last two years at Central Catholic. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER PETER GONZALEZ Pittsburgh receiver impresses Penn State's staff with his resilience T H E G O N Z A L E Z F I L E