Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1520787
4 6 J U N E / J U L 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 J une is a crucial month for every FBS program, but for Penn State, the stakes may be a bit higher in 2024 compared to recent years. With Big Ten-bound West Coast programs USC and Oregon joining Ohio State in the top 10 of the On3 2025 Team Recruiting Rankings, the Nittany Lions find them- selves in an unfamiliar position. As of May 10, the Lions were ranked fifth in the conference and 17th nation- ally by On3. With only six of the class's 13 committed players having earned a four-star rating from On3's scouts, there's pressure on James Franklin and his staff to hit on a good portion of the top prospects planning to visit next month. For perspective, Michigan, which ranked just ahead of Penn State at No. 16 nationally, had only five total commitments but nearly as many four- star prospects with four. Entering the summer, Penn State is in jeopardy of finishing as low as fifth in the conference if it doesn't have a strong showing in June. Of course, the reverse is also possible. If they were to land a handful of their top remaining pros- pects, all of a sudden the Lions would likely find themselves approaching the top 10 nationally. This year's official visit schedule will primarily center around four upcoming weekends. It's always possible that Penn State will add a midweek visitor or two, but for the most part, the visits will be concentrated in the weekends, starting May 31-June 2. They'll take place ev- ery weekend until June 21-23, with this year's summer dead period set to begin June 24. As of May 1, Penn State was set to welcome 56 official visitors from across the country. Recruits can now take as many official visits as they want — they were previously limited to five — but schools can host no more than 70 such visits in any given recruiting cycle. That total includes transfers, which means the staff must be sure to save a por- June Visits Will Set Tone For Rest Of 2025 Cycle RYA N S N Y D E R | RYA N . S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M FOOTBALL RECRUITING Lex Cyrus of Susquehanna Township (Pa.) High is a four-star prospect and the No. 28 wide receiver nationally, per the On3 Industry Ranking. He's set to take an official visit to PSU on the weekend of May 31-June 2. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER