Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1524108
A U G U S T 2 0 2 4 9 7 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M J une will go down as a month of highs and lows for Penn State on the re- cruiting trail. As has become the norm in recent years, official visits often lead to a surge of commitments in June and into July, and that was once again the case for the Nittany Lions. Dating back to defensive end Iose Epenesa's trip to State College in mid- May, Penn State hosted 49 prospects for official visits. That list includes 13 players who were committed at the time, plus 11 more prospects who eventually declared for the Lions in a one-month stretch from June 10 to July 9. In the midst of that growth spurt, however, Penn State's 2025 class also suffered a few losses. Two previously committed prospects — running back Alvin Henderson of Elba, Ala., and line- backer DJ McClary of Jersey City, N.J. — ended up flipping their commitments to Auburn and Rutgers, respectively. Henderson had committed to Penn State in April following his first visit to State College. Many believed he was leaning toward Auburn heading into that trip, so it was a surprise when he an- nounced for the Nittany Lions on April 11. The Tigers didn't give up on Hender- son, hosting him for an unofficial visit in May. Despite the four-star tailback informing the media that he was firm with his commitment to the Nittany Li- ons following his June 14-16 official visit to State College, Henderson flipped to Auburn on June 20. As for McClary, he originally com- mitted to Penn State in September 2023. At the time, he made it clear that then- defensive coordinator Manny Diaz was a major reason why he wanted to join the Nittany Lions. Once Diaz became the head coach at Duke, McClary stuck with his commitment for months but Summer Commitments Expand Penn State's 2025 Class RYA N S N Y D E R | RYA N . S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M FOOTBALL RECRUITING Penn State landed one of its top wide receiver targets in the 2025 class when it earned a commitment on June 28 from three-star prospect Jeff Exinor of the McDonogh School in Owings Mills, Md. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER