Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1525333
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 4 5 7 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Over the last few months, Princeton (W.Va.) Senior High defensive end Dan- iel Jennings has become a regular visi- tor to Penn State. On July 31, the junior standout joined the Nittany Lions' 2026 class, committing to PSU shortly after his trip to Happy Valley for the first day of the Lasch Bash Barbecue. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound prospect first popped up on campus for a spring practice session in March, then attended the Blue-White Game in April along with a camp in June before returning once more in July. Jennings worked out for the staff on his last two visits. While he did some linebacker work at camp in June, Penn State projects him as a de- fensive end at the next level. Jennings also received scholarship offers from Illinois, UNLV and West Virginia. His decision came down to the Nittany Lions and Mountaineers. He camped at Notre Dame, UNLV and West Virginia in addition to Penn State back in June. Across the border a t G ra h a m H i g h i n Bluefield Va., Jennings earned all-state hon- ors as a sophomore linebacker in 2023. The G-Men fell in the state semifinals to Radford in December but finished with a 12-2 record and a Southwest Vir- ginia Regional title. Jennings played as an edge rusher and in a multipurpose role on offense, often lining up as a run- ning back. Jennings, who transferred to Prince- ton Senior earlier this year, has received three stars from On3's scouts but is a four-star prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking, which combines the grades from the four major recruiting websites. He's listed by On3 as the No. 182 overall prospect and No. 14 edge rusher nation- ally, as well as the No. 1 player in West Virginia. Jennings was up to 235 pounds at one point but has dropped about 10 pounds to 225. At the Under Armour Camp in Baltimore in May, he ran a 4.7-second 40-yard dash and a 4.6-second shut- tle. — Sean Fitz Fresh off an unofficial visit in July for the Lasch Bash Barbecue, three-star wide receiver Lavar Keys of DeMatha Catholic in Hyattsville, Md., announced Aug. 2 that he would be signing with Penn State in the class of 2026. "I just wanted to end all this and just be a Nittany Lion already," Keys told BWI. "I'm ending this now because I have what I want, and this is what I want to do. This is who I want to play for, for the next three to four years of college." J a m e s Fra n k l i n 's p ro g ra m b e - came a frontrunner for the 5-foot-10, 165-pound recruit after extending an offer following a strong camp perfor- mance in July. Speed is the name of his game: Keys ran a 4.5-second 40-yard dash and a 4.3 shuttle at the Baltimore Under Armour Camp in May. That piqued the interest of many programs, including Penn State. The Lions moved on the junior after watching him work in person. "I was very excited," Keys said. "Penn State has been my dream school for years, especially since I'm named af- ter [former Nittany Lion All-American] LaVar Arrington. That's just a blessing." It was little surprise, then, that the Maryland native wasted no time in committing. He did so over offers from Maryland, Virginia Tech and Boston College, among others. "What I loved about Penn was the coaching staff and facilities," Keys said. "Being able to meet the whole coaching staff on both sides of the ball was amazing. They made me feel like I belonged there, and that was just a blessing because it's my favor- ite school." Keys is the No. 85 wide receiver na- tionally and No. 9 prospect in Maryland, per the On3 Industry Ranking. On3's scouts list him 104th among wideouts nationally and 10th in his home state. — Sean Fitz COMMITMENT PROFILE DANIEL JENNINGS COMMITMENT PROFILE LAVAR KEYS Versatility Is West Virginia Edge Rusher's Hallmark Maryland Receiver Jumps At Offer From 'Dream School' You see the way Daniel Jennings is able to chase from the backside, and while I'm not say- ing he has all the elite traits of a linebacker, he does have some versatility to his game. Zone dropping is a big part of college football now, and you've got to have guys who are athletic enough to play in space. Maybe it's only five critical plays in a game, but you want to have the ability to do that. Penn State has been able to develop flexibility within its defense by using Chop Robinson, Adisa Isaac and current junior Abdul Carter in that role. In Jennings, the Lions have found another guy who has the necessary skill set. — Thomas Frank Carr P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N With Lavar Keys, I think you have to start with his short-area burst and explosion. He is cat-quick and gets to top speed in a hurry. You see that on his sophomore film. He's very dangerous working out of the slot and attacking the middle of the field. I think he has the speed to not only create separation but to pull away. Moving forward, he's going to have some big-time competition matchups at DeMatha, so we'll see how he plays as a junior. One of the biggest areas for improvement for him is just to continue honing in on his route running, but I think there are certainly reasons to be excited about what he's shown so far. — Charles Power, On3 director of scouting and rankings P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N