Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1518105
5 6 A P R I L 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 ris of Upper Marlboro, Md.; and Jayden Woods of Shawnee, Kan. All three have received four-star grades from On3. We don't get the impression that Penn State is standing out with anyone in particular just yet, but spring visits and official visits should help clarify the situation. DEFENSIVE TACKLE Projected Take: 2 Penn State has four senior defensive tackles on its 2024 roster, and junior Zane Durant will also be draft-eligible after the season. That's why the staff took so many interior defensive linemen last year. But even after adding four in the 2024 cycle, the Lions still need re- inforcements. On3 lists Hillside, N.J., native Darren Ikinnagbon as an edge rusher, but Penn State believes the 6-5, 240-pounder will grow into a defensive tackle. The four- star prospect took an unofficial visit to Penn State during the first week of spring practice and will be one of the staff's top priorities in the months ahead. Trent Wilson of Upper Marlboro, Md., is another player to watch. He's visited Penn State more than any other school so far and is set to return for the Blue-White Game. Ohio State, Okla- homa and Texas A&M are also expected to get him on campus this spring, and Florida State will bear watching after Wilson turned in a strong performance at a junior day in Tallahassee in January. Others to keep an eye on include three-star prospects Landon Rink of Cypress, Texas; Haleem Muhammad of Willow Grove, Pa.; and Jarquez Carter of Newberry, Fla. LINEBACKER Projected Take: 3 Penn State has a pair of four-star linebackers already committed: DJ McClary of Jersey City, N.J., and Alex Tatsch of Latrobe, Pa. Three days after receiving Tatsch's commitment in early February, the Lions added three-star linebacker Dayshaun Burnett of Pitts- burgh to their class. The 6-3, 215-pound Burnett could develop into a defensive end at the college level but is regarded as a linebacker for now. It's hard to picture another linebacker joining the class, but Penn State is still pursuing a handful of talented players, including Ty Jackson of Loxahatchee, Fla. The nation's top-ranked linebacker according to On3, Jackson took an unof- ficial visit to Penn State in January and now has an official visit set for May 31- June 2. It won't be easy to pull him away from top schools down South, but the Lions have a chance. Two other players worth watching are LaVar Arrington Jr. and Elijah Melendez. Melendez, a four-star prospect who resides in Kissimmee, Fla., committed to Miami in December but has visited Penn State since then. Arrington is a three-star player and the son of a leg- endary Penn State player. At 6-2, 175 pounds, the Covina, Calif., native needs to add weight, but he has many of the same athletic traits that made his father a star with the Nittany Lions in the late 1990s. Jackson, who is the No. 16 overall player nationally according to On3, will get plenty of attention from Penn State, but Arrington and Melendez are worth keeping an eye on. For now, we expect PSU to take three linebackers in its 2025 class, but Burnett's flexibility gives them wiggle room to add another. CORNERBACK Projected Take: 3 Penn State added three-star Pitts- burgh prospect Xxavier Thomas in De- cember. He'll likely be a nickel back at the next level, occupying a role similar to the one that Daequan Hardy manned the past three seasons. Darren Ikinnagbon is listed by On3 as an edge rusher, but Penn State believes the 6-5, 240-pounder from Hillside, N.J., could grow into a defensive tackle. He took an unofficial visit to PSU during the first week of spring practice and will be one of the staff's top priorities in the months ahead. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER