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 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State's defensive line got a lift on July 31 when three-star prospect Yvan Kemajou of Burtonsville, Md., an- nounced that he was joining the Nittany Lions' 2025 class. Kemajou picked up an offer from the Lions in December. Listed at 6-foot-3, 240 pounds, he has primarily played de- fensive end at Paint Branch High but is expected to grow into a defensive tackle at the college level. He totaled three vis- its to Penn State since the start of his recruitment, including a trip in late July for the Lasch Bash Barbecue. Kemajou was the third-leading tack- ler at Paint Branch last season, finishing with 46 stops in 10 games, including 10 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. He said he felt as though the Nittany Lion football program was a good fit for him in all facets of his college career. "We all already know how great Penn State is football-wise, so I feel like that was one of the obvious reasons," Kema- jou said. "But when I went there for my [official] visit, I really saw how much they cared about education and how much they stress being a true student- athlete. They make sure their players get a lot of support. I thought that was great. "But also, later in the process, after I visited, they reached out a lot. They were always making sure my family had every question answered. They did ev- erything they could to show that Penn State was the right school for me. I re- ally appreciated the effort they showed." Kemajou ended up taking six official visits, beginning with a trip to North- western in mid-May. He followed that up with trips to Penn State (May 31-June 2), Rutgers, Duke, Indiana and Virginia Tech. In the end, the Hokies and Scarlet Knights proved to be PSU's toughest competitors. "My top three came down to Penn State, Virginia Tech and Rutgers," Ke- majou said. "During the last month, I really made sure I was having different meetings with each of those schools. We were asking any remaining questions that we had. "Tech and Rutgers both showed a lot of love. It was definitely a hard decision, I'll say that. Penn State was always up there for me, don't get me wrong, but Virginia Tech and Rutgers gave them a run for their money." The consistency that Penn State de- fensive line coach Deion Barnes and head coach James Franklin showed throughout his recruitment also played a major role in this decision. Kemajou said Franklin was particularly diligent about explaining what PSU could do for him on and off the field. "He really explained everything that's good about Penn State for me, like send- ing people to the [NFL] and how much they care about academics," Kemajou said. "We really liked the academics part. They have great football, that's obvious, but they really care about aca- demics, too. We love that." Kemajou received three stars both from On3's scouts and in the On3 In- dustry Ranking, which pools the ratings of the four major recruiting websites. On3 lists him as the No. 43 defensive lineman nationally and No. 15 player in Maryland. Kemajou's commitment was the second for Penn State from an interior defensive lineman. Three weeks ear- lier, the Nittany Lions received a pledge from three-star Miami prospect Randy Adirika. The Lions' defensive line class also includes three edge rushers: Jayden Woods of Shawnee, Kan., Dayshaun Burnett of Pittsburgh and Cortez Har- ris of Upper Marlboro, Md. All are con- sidered four-star prospects in the On3 Industry Ranking. ■ Maryland Defensive Lineman Has Growth Potential RYA N S N Y D E R | RYA N . S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M Kemajou came on strong as a junior at Paint Branch High in Burtonsville, Md., totaling 46 tackles, including 10 for loss and 6.5 sacks. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER Yvan Kemajou moves like a defensive end. I'm very excited about his tools. He's a complete defen- sive tackle from a frame perspective, aside from being 6-foot-3. He's not 6-5, but he's still a guy who could be 290 pounds of chiseled muscle. His growth potential and movement skills right now are really unique. This is a three-star prospect who could outperform that rating. Some people see the term "typical Penn State defensive tackle recruit" as a negative. They see guys who are maybe a little bit small for the position, guys who have quickness traits but maybe don't have elite size. I think Penn State recruits a really good style of defensive tackle. Kemajou is a typical PSU defensive tackle recruit, because he moves so well and has a good development curve. He can be a complete three-technique defensive tackle from what I see of his abilities. He needs to add weight and experience, but the athleticism and movement skills are super positive. — Thomas Frank Carr P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N COMMITMENT PROFILE YVAN KEMAJOU