Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1518105
A P R I L 2 0 2 4 5 9 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Lehigh made a similar move to Tatsch, climbing into the national top 100 at No. 87 overall after having previously been unranked. He's now the No. 4 tight end in the country according to On3. "We saw a pretty good shake-up at the tight end position, and Andrew Olesh was one who really stood out," Power said. "He has that receiver ath- leticism and skills in a tight end frame. I think he's one of the bigger mismatches among that position group in this year's class. He has the ability to just blow by defensive backs. "Also, he's nowhere close to being filled out yet, so I think he's a guy who could tack on plenty of weight still and hold up well. But his burst and his abil- ity with the ball in his hands, it all trans- lates really well based off what we've seen on his junior film. He had a very productive junior year and is a talented, gifted athlete." Power added that Olesh reminds him of two other recent Penn State tight end signees, four-star prospects An- drew Rappleyea and Luke Reynolds. A member of the 2023 class, Rappleyea ranked 49th overall and second at tight end nationally. Reynolds was the No. 74 overall prospect and No. 4 tight end in the 2024 class. "If Penn State is able to land Olesh, he would really fit in with the type of tight ends that they've recruited the last several years," Power said. "He fits that central casting [model] as far as the kind of tight end that Penn State has been getting the past few years. "When you look at him, there are a lot of similarities between him, Luke Reyn- olds and Andrew Rappleyea. They're all similar kind of body types and athletes, as well as skill levels. I think he would fit in really well when it comes to what Penn State likes at the position." Another Pennsylvania player who bears mentioning is Harrisburg na- tive Lex Cyrus. The 5-10, 175-pound receiver from Susquehanna Town- ship doesn't rank inside the top 100 like the other four, but he's also not that far outside of it, coming in at No. 132 in the nation. Cyrus is also ranked 17th among wide receivers nationally. The PIAA Class AAA 100-meter state champion flashed his football potential last season, topping 1,000 yards on 67 receptions and scoring 13 touchdowns to show that he's not just a track star playing football. "Lex Cyrus is the definition of twitched-up," On3 scout Cody Bellaire said. "He is incredibly dynamic and has some rare top-end speed at the receiver position. We are talking about some serious juice. He has personal bests of 6.84 [seconds] in the 60-meter, as well as a 10.45 100-meter and a 21.64 200-meter. Those numbers are rolling for a junior in high school. The speed isn't just on the track, as it translates to the football field in a big way. "His ability to stretch the field verti- cally is extremely impressive, as well as his ability to make you miss in space with the ball in his hands. Cyrus has the explosive traits to turn any average play into a score every time he touches the football. His stature limits him from thriving in 50/50 ball situations and limits his catch radius, but his ability as a vertical threat and as a playmaker from the slot is where he'll find his home at the next level." One other player of note — though not from Pennsylvania — is future Nit- tany Lion receiver Lyrick Samuel. The 6-4, 175-pound prospect from Brook- lyn, N.Y., also made a big move in the rankings, earning a four-star rating and climbing into the On300 at No. 235 in the nation. He's ranked No. 32 at the receiver position. "Lyrick Samuel is actually one of the younger prospects for the 2025 recruit- ing cycle. He should technically be a 2026 recruit," Bellaire said. "But he has excellent size with tremendous physical upside and development potential. He currently stands 6-foot-4, 175 pounds with excellent length. Samuel also had terrific testing numbers in a combine setting during the spring camp circuit prior to his junior season. A three-sport athlete in football, basketball and track and field, Samuel is a smooth mover and is quite fluid for someone with his stature. "When getting vertical, he's able to eat yards in the open field and separate from corners with ease. We really like his dynamic ability with the ball in his hands, as well as his hand strength at the point of attack. He needs some re- finement in his route running, but he has plenty of athletic ability to develop that aspect of his game. His best foot- ball is ahead of him, and he will only continue to grow into his game as he physically develops." ■ Uncommitted quarterback Matt Zollers of Spring-Ford High in Royersford is the top prospect in the Keystone State and the No. 17 overall player nationally according to On3's scouts. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER One of Penn State's top wide receiver targets in the 2025 class, Harrisburg native Lex Cyrus has vaulted to No. 132 nationally and No. 17 among pass catchers. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER