Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1529598
D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 4 5 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M ton and Kaytron Allen would be moving on after the 2024 season. That could change, but Hayes is looking to com- pete with the rest of the crew. Current freshmen Quinton Martin Jr. and Corey Smith have done some good things, and spring should be an active time for them both. Redshirt freshman Cam Wallace suffered an injury in September, and it's unlikely he'll be full-go in time for spring ball. Though listed by On3 at 5-foot-10, 190 pounds, Hayes is up to about 210 pounds and has enjoyed a strong senior season, totaling 933 rushing yards in only six games. How that production carries over to the next level remains to be seen. Penn State will drop him into the weight program in January and hope for some promising signs. Wide Receiver This is the position that spurred the fact-finding mission to figure out which prospects will be on campus in January. Penn State has four receivers committed in the 2025 class, and three of them are slated to enroll early. McDonogh High in Maryland does not allow midyear graduations, so three-star prospect Jeff Exinor will enroll after the spring semester. That leaves four-star receiver Lyrick Samuel and three-star players Koby Howard and Matthew Outten as the anticipated January arrivals. While we're on the subject, it's worth noting that four-star tight end com- mit Matt Henderson is not a January enrollee. The Impact: Penn State fans are cu- rious to see if the Nittany Lions can get an early-impact guy in 2025. The prior class seemed semi-promising, but Peter Gonzalez suffered an injury in August, and Tyseer Denmark is still getting up to speed. In short, Penn State's potential immediate-impact guy is still not on the roster and will likely come from the transfer portal this offseason. The Lions will need a better result than they've gotten in the past two portal cycles. As far as the freshmen go, Samuel seems like a safe bet for a redshirt year. He's raw and will need time to fill out. There's still a lot to like, but the jump from Erasmus Hall in Brooklyn, N.Y., to the Big Ten will be massive. The leap isn't as big for Howard, who has missed a few weeks with an injury but was slated to return for the play- offs for Chaminade-Madonna. Before he went out in late September, Howard had 5 touchdowns in six games. Like Denmark, he doesn't blow you away athletically, but he has a good skill set and the ability to run with the ball af- ter the catch. That element seems to be missing on the current roster. It's also a specialty of Outten, a three- star athlete who flipped to PSU in Sep- tember from Virginia Tech. Given film and feedback, Outten seems like the one member of the trio who could po- tentially play early. He's rough around the edges as a receiver, but he's explo- sive and seems like he could handle the physical aspect of the transition. It's hardly a sure bet, but of the in- coming freshman wideouts, Outten is probably best positioned to contribute next year. Offensive Line Penn State has four offensive linemen committed in the 2025 class, and two are slated to arrive in January: three-star interior lineman Michael Troutman and four-star tackle Owen Aliciene. Four- star offensive tackle Malachi Goodman won't enroll in January but will play in the Navy All-American Bowl in the new year. The Impact: Offensive line con- tributions are rare for freshmen in the spring, and out of the past few Janu- ary groups that have come through, this is probably the one with the low- est immediate expectations. Troutman is closer to being a finished product, most recently checking in right around 280 pounds. He'll probably take to the strength program quickly, and his high- floor profile should see him in the mix, but he's still likely to redshirt. Of the three wide receiver prospects who plan to arrive in January, Matthew Outten of Portsmouth, Va., may be best- positioned to earn playing time in 2025. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER