Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1520787
J U N E / J U L Y 2 0 2 4 47 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M tion of its visit allotment for the regular season and also for December when the portal opens again. May 31-June 2 Penn State had locked in official visits with 13 prospects for the first weekend, 11 of whom hold a four-star grade in the On3 Industry Ranking, which averages the ratings of the four major recruit- ing websites. It's always possible that some dates get shuffled, but if the cur- rent itinerary holds firm, this would be the deepest weekend of the month when it comes to blue-chip talent. The list is headlined by three players who rank among the top 100 nationally: tight end Linkon Cure, wide receiver An- drew Marsh and linebacker Ty Jackson. Cure, who lives in Goodland, Kan., is the second-ranked tight end in the country and No. 34 overall prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking, while Marsh of Fulshear, Texas, is ranked eighth at wide receiver and 55th overall. Both play- ers will likely be tough to pull. Marsh will be making his first visit, and Cure has only been to State College once, attend- ing last year's White Out game against Iowa. However, whenever Franklin and his staff have an opportunity to host elite players, they're going to do so. The competition is also fierce for Jackson, who ranks as the nation's top linebacker and No. 20 overall prospect according to On3's scouts. A native of Loxahatchee, Fla., Jackson visited earlier this year and spoke highly of the expe- rience. Georgia, Florida State and Ten- nessee are all expected to receive official visits, so Penn State has serious competi- tion, but the possibility of playing for a program often recognized as "Linebacker U" does have Jackson seriously interested. A few other players to monitor are wide receivers Lex Cyrus of Harrisburg, Pa., and Corey Simms of St. Louis, as well as offensive tackle Malachi Good- man of Paramus, N.J. Cyrus and Simms may play the same position, but they are opposites in many ways. At 5-foot-10, 175 pounds, Cyrus brings speed and agility, while Simms offers length at 6-3, 185 pounds. Cyrus is a four-star prospect and the No. 28 wide receiver nationally according to the On3 Industry Ranking. Simms has also received a four-star rating and is listed 37th among wideouts. Meanwhile, Goodman recently made a big move in the rankings, climbing all the way to No. 103 nationally in the On300 after previously earning a three- star rating. The 6-5, 315-pound tackle has visited Penn State more than any other school to this point, but he's also locked in official visits with Alabama, Georgia and USC. June 7-9 The Lions are planning to host about a dozen recruits on the first full weekend of June. The list of expected attendees includes a few who could ultimately end up signing with the Nittany Lions in December. Among the expected visi- tors are safety Kainoa Winston of Mont- gomery Village, Md.; wide receiver Jeff Exinor and cornerback Brandon Finney, teammates at McDonogh School in Ow- ings Mills, Md.; plus wide receiver Mat- thew Outten of Portsmouth, Va. Penn State has a great shot at landing a few players this weekend. All except Outten have received four- star grades in the On3 Industry Ranking. Outten holds a three-star rating, but we believe there's a good chance he will be upgraded to four stars before the sea- son starts. Winston is the nation's No. 11 safety, Exinor is the No. 38 receiver and Finney is the No. 12 athlete. Another player to keep an eye on is four-star defensive end Jayden Woods of Shawnee, Kan. Woods' father, Justin, played running back at Kansas State for a year back when Franklin was the Wild- cats' offensive coordinator. Those ties helped secure an unofficial visit in mid- March, and now the Lions are rising up Woods' list of top schools. Listed in the On3 Industry Ranking as the No. 23 edge rusher nationally and No. 190 overall prospect, Woods is expected to also take official visits to Purdue and Wisconsin. Florida and Tennessee are under consid- eration, too. Jeff Exinor of McDonogh School in Owings Mills, Md., is the No. 38 wide receiver prospect nationally in the On3 Industry Ranking. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER