Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1518105
A P R I L 2 0 2 4 5 7 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M As far as the remaining class goes, we expect position coach Terry Smith to look for cornerbacks with a bit more length to fill those additional scholarships. In the Mid-Atlantic region, Jahmir Joseph of Montvale, N.J., and Bran- don Finney of Owings Mills, Md., have emerged as two of the staff's top targets. The 6-2, 185-pound Finney checked out PSU in March and will take an official visit this summer. Joseph, who is listed at 6-0, 170 pounds, has been to Penn State the most so far and is also ex- pected to take an official visit later this year. Both are rated as four-star pros- pects by On3. Another name to remember is Josh Johnson of Ironton, Ohio. Penn State was one of the first schools to extend an offer to Johnson last fall, and the Nit- tany Lions' early interest put them in a strong position with the 6-2, 175-pound prospect. He already has an official visit locked in for June 7-9 and should have Penn State among his top three. The Li- ons may very well be the favorites with Johnson, who has received a three-star grade from On3. Another notable target is Alex Gra- ham, a 6-0, 185-pounder who attends IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., but grew up in Detroit. The consensus four- star cornerback recently visited Penn State to watch spring practice and will likely take an official visit in the sum- mer. The Nittany Lions already have of- ficial visits set with three other cor- nerbacks. Headlining the list is Onis Konanbanny, a three-star prospect who grew up in London, England, but now resides in Columbia, S.C. DeShawn Stewart of Wayne, N.J., and Antonio Branch of Miami also have official visits set for the summer. If all goes to plan, Penn State has a great opportunity to sign another strong cornerback class. SAFETY Projected Take: 2 Penn State is in the mix with two of the nation's best safety prospects in Kainoa Winston of Montgomery Vil- lage, Md., and JaDon Blair of Winston- Salem, N.C. Winston is a cousin of current PSU junior safety Kevin Win- ston Jr. The elder Winston's success at PSU — he was the team's leading tack- ler last season with 61 stops — should help the Nittany Lions, although North Carolina and Ohio State are two other schools to watch with Winston, a four- star player who is rated by On3 as the No. 6 safety and No. 80 overall pros- pect nationally. Blair visited Penn State in March and already has an official visit set with the Lions for June 21-23. Notre Dame is also in a good position with the four- star defensive back, who is listed No. 2 nationally at safety by On3 and No. 43 overall. Michigan, South Carolina and Virginia Tech are also in the mix. The Nittany Lions may very well be the favorites with both Winston and Blair, but if they were to miss out on at least one of them, Corey Costner of Baltimore and Shamari Earls of Chester, Va., are also high on the staff's board. Both have received four-star grades from On3. As is the case at cornerback, Penn State is in good position to sign a strong class at safety. ■ Kainoa Winston of Montgomery Village, Md., is rated by On3 as the No. 6 safety in the country and the No. 80 overall prospect nationally. He's a cousin of current Penn State junior safety Kevin Winston Jr. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER