Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1526526
5 0 O C T O B E R 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 have four receivers in their 2025 class, and position coach Marques Hagans is keeping in touch with a few more. The Lions were close to hosting four-star USC commit Romero Ison this summer, but that trip fell through. The main focus now, after flipping Outten, is Cyrus. Penn State gave space to the four-star prospect following his commitment to South Carolina in July. Not much has changed on that front in the months since. Several members of the player's in- ner circle still like the Nittany Lions, but Cyrus, who is listed by On3 as the No. 109 overall prospect and No. 16 receiver nationally, as well as the No. 4 player in Pennsylvania, hasn't budged. If Penn State is going to flip him, it doesn't seem like it will be soon. Still, the gravitational pull of the process often starts to tug at players with National Signing Day approach- ing. Couple that tendency with a slow start for the Gamecocks, who needed a fourth-quarter comeback and a few fortunate bounces to take down Ricky Rahne's Old Dominion Monarchs in Week 1, and there's a roadmap for the Lions to follow. The 5-10, 175-pound Cyrus dug in this summer and went against the grain by committing to South Carolina. Penn State is still pushing here and has the support of those around him. There's no telling whether Cyrus, who had 10 catches for 193 yards and 2 touchdowns in his first two games this year, will fol- low suit. Andrew Olesh TE | Center Valley, Pa. | Southern Lehigh Penn State seemed to fall out of the race for Olesh this summer. The four- star prospect, listed by On3 as the No. 67 overall player and No. 3 tight end nationally, as well as the No. 2 player in Pennsylvania, eventually picked Michi- gan over Alabama in July. Still, Olesh has kept open the lines of communication with other schools. Oregon came through with an offer in August. As for Penn State, tight ends coach Ty Howle has remained in some con- tact. There was always interest there, but Olesh had concerns about getting onto the field early at a stacked position group in Happy Valley. Luke Reynolds, a Top 100 tight end in the 2024 class, is expected to have a significant role as a true freshman this fall. That could give Olesh something to think about. He was a regular visitor to Happy Valley before blowing up as a recruit. While the Nittany Lions seem con- tent with four-star prospect Matt Henderson as their only tight end in In addition to keeping in touch with players who might still be interested in Penn State after choos- ing other schools, the coaching staff is looking at late-blooming seniors. That's typical for this time of year. Even with the proliferation of scouting opportunities, players can still fly under the radar for various reasons. The Nittany Lions had a lighter load of rising se- niors in camp this summer, so there will be players who emerge who may have eluded them earlier in the cycle. Few names had emerged through the first few weeks of the season. That was partly by design, and partly because the Nittany Lions want to see more tape. Penn State's upcoming home games against Illinois and UCLA could provide opportu- nities for potential 2025 prospects to make unof- ficial visits, while the marquee home games later in the year might turn into official visit weekends. Positions to watch include the offensive line, tight end, defensive tackle, safety or just best athlete available. One of the players in the latter category is athlete Bradley Gompers of Pittsburgh Central Catholic. The Nittany Lions know a lot about the Duke com- mit, but he missed much of his junior season with an injury. Gompers was a teammate of linebacker Anthony Speca and receiver Peter Gonzalez, both of whom are now true freshmen at Penn State, as well as 2025 cornerback commit Xxavier Thomas. The 6-foot-5, 205-pound prospect committed to Duke in June but told BWI that Penn State has lately been in touch with him more frequently. Gompers tested very well for the Nittany Lions as a sophomore, and he lit it up in Central Catholic's opener against St. Frances Academy, totaling 3 catches for 97 yards and making a team-high 14 tackles, including 11 solo stops. He could be a tight end, linebacker or defensive end at the next level. Penn State has been pleased with its recent Central Catholic additions, and Gompers is one that the Nittany Lions are watching "closely," per sources. — Sean Fitz B r a d l e y G o m p e r s i s a t w o - w a y s t a n d o u t a t Pittsburgh Central Catholic. He's committed to Duke, but Penn State has stayed in contact. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER Penn State Keeps An Eye On Senior Risers The Nittany Lions haven't abandoned their pursuit of four-star Harrisburg wide receiver Lex Cyrus, who is cur- rently part of South Carolina's class. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER