Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1530530
4 8 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M T he Penn State football program of- ficially welcomed 27 recruits into its ranks during the December signing period for the 2025 class. The Nittany Lions signed only two On3 top-100 players, landing four-star New Jersey offensive tackle Malachi Goodman, who is listed No. 46 overall, and four-star Pennsylvania tight end Andrew Olesh, who is No. 43. However, nine players are inside the On300, and coach James Franklin said he was happy with the class and the work that his staff did, especially given the challenges of the final days, when Penn State was try- ing to finish off its class while also pre- paring for an appearance in the Big Ten Championship Game. "I'm pleased with the class," he said. "I was also very, very pleased with the staff in general. This is a very different signing day. Usually, it's our whole staff [in atten- dance at the signing day festivities], but we can't afford to do that right now. The rest of the staff was on football all day. I came in early and will stay late to make up for the time that I missed on football." The Lions' class placed 14th overall and fourth in the Big Ten in the On3 Industry Team Rankings. Penn State trailed con- ference foes Oregon (second nationally), Ohio State (fifth) and Michigan (ninth). Texas was the top team overall. The final analysis is years away, but in the meantime, here's a look at the newest Nittany Lions. Randy Adirika DT | 6-3 | 285 | Miami Penn State extended a scholarship offer to Adirika in February 2023, but it didn't have an opportunity to host the Miami Central prospect until April 2024 for the Blue-White Game. That visit set the Nit- tany Lions up to welcome him for an of- ficial visit in June. He also went to Mi- ami and USC, and many believed that he would ultimately end up at Miami. That all changed on July 9 when he chose the Nittany Lions instead. During his senior season, Adirika fin- ished with 32 tackles, including 22 for loss and 6 sacks, and he recovered a fumble. A three-star prospect and the No. 46 de- fensive lineman nationally according to On3, he's expected to enroll at Penn State in January. Owen Aliciene OL | 6-7 | 255 | Cheshire, Conn. Aliciene didn't begin playing football until his sophomore year at Avon Old Farms. Even though he was new to the TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS In a hectic week for the program, Penn State enjoys another drama-free signing day RYA N S N Y D E R | RYA N . S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M FOOTBALL RECRUITING While James Franklin and his recruiting staff celebrated signing day Dec. 4, the rest of the coaches were at work elsewhere in the Lasch Building preparing for Penn State's matchup with Oregon in the Big Ten Championship Game. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS