Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1520787
5 0 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 P enn State picked up only one 2025 commitment in April, with four- star running back Alvin Henderson choosing the Nittany Lions shortly after making his first visit to State College. James Franklin and his staff had already secured 11 commitments heading into the month, so the dearth of news in April didn't come as much of a surprise. Still, the Lions' 2024 class included eight April commitments, and the change this year gave rise to some worries among fans that the team was in a rut. Those concerns are premature; as outlined on the preceding pages, there are four official visit weekends coming in June that figure to be well-attended, and those trips will ultimately determine how Penn State fares in the 2025 cycle. While there weren't many headlines in April, PSU's staff did put in plenty of groundwork for the crucial four-week stretch that will soon begin. And it got off to a head start by landing a surprise commitment from four-star tight end Matt Henderson on May 8. While we wait for the June visits to begin, here's a look at some of the pro- gram's successes and disappointments this spring. THE GOOD Alvin Henderson Chooses The Lions When Penn State picked up a com- mitment from running back Alvin Hen- derson on April 11, he immediately be- came the highest-ranked player in the Lions' class. Henderson, who is the No. 116 overall prospect and No. 8 running back nationally in the On3 Industry Ranking, chose the Lions over Auburn and Miami. What's more, he picked PSU even though it already had two running backs in its 2025 class. Now, assistant coach Ja'Juan Seider and the rest of the staff have to keep Henderson on board for the next seven months. The 5-foot-9, 195-pounder from Elba, Ala., still plans to take offi- cial visits to other schools, with Miami slated to welcome him to Coral Gables June 21-23 and Auburn looking to host him during the season. New Prospects Continue To Emerge Unofficial visits in April helped the staff sort through its top contenders. There are a number of players in the 2025 class who have not only moved up the board but could also end up taking of- ficial visits to Penn State at some point. Players like tight end Brody Lennon, defensive lineman Tommy Rupley and offensive lineman Amory Hills all bear watching. Lennon, a three-star prospect from Cleveland, and Rupley, a three-star edge rusher from Belmont, Mass., already have official visits locked in. In addition, we saw players like de- fensive end Jayden Loftin and offensive lineman Nolan Davenport visit twice in less than two weeks. Loftin of Somer- ville, N.J., is unranked by On3, while Davenport of Massillon, Ohio, has re- ceived four stars from On3's scouts and three in the Industry Ranking. We also saw a trio of Florida pros- pects — four-star cornerback Graceson L i t t l e to n f ro m Ta m p a , u n ra n ke d safety Rashad Johnson from Bushnell and four-star defensive tackle Randy Adirika from Miami — all visit in April. They now have official visits locked in. Strong Start With Elite 2026 Prospect April was an up-and-down month when it came to quarterback recruiting (more on that below), but one of the PSU's Recruiting Efforts Yield Mixed Results In April RYA N S N Y D E R | RYA N . S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M Running back Alvin Henderson is the highest-rated player in Penn State's 2025 class, coming in at No. 116 overall and No. 8 at his position in the On3 Industry Ranking. Henderson committed to the Nittany Lions on April 11. PHOTO COURTESY HENDERSON FAMILY