Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1530530
J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 5 4 9 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M sport, he was pursued by schools right away. He earned a dozen scholarship of- fers before the start of his junior season. Boston College, Duke, Kentucky, Louis- ville, Pitt and Rutgers all hosted him for visits, but Penn State quickly emerged as a favorite. No school hosted him more than PSU; he and his family traveled to State College four times in the 10 months leading up to his commitment in January 2024. Set to enroll in January, Aliciene holds a four-star rating from On3 and is a mem- ber of the On300 at No. 235 nationally. He's the 20th-ranked offensive tackle in the class and the second-ranked prospect in Connecticut. LaVar Arrington II LB | 6-3 | 200 | Annapolis, Md. Penn State has signed its share of legacy prospects over the years, but you won't find many who have as much name recog- nition as Arrington, whose father was an All-American and Butkus Award winner at PSU. Excelling as a hybrid linebacker/edge rusher at Charter Oak (Calif.) High, Ar- rington totaled 17 scholarship offers before narrowing his list down to Penn State, Tennessee and UCLA last summer. All three of those schools earned official visits, but the opportunity to carry on his father's legacy was too enticing for any other school to overcome. Arrington is considered a three-star prospect by On3's scouts but holds a four- star rating in the On3 Industry Ranking, which combines the grades from all four major recruiting websites. He's listed by On3 as the nation's No. 37 linebacker and No. 35 player in California. During his se- nior year at Charter Oak, Arrington to- taled 45 tackles, 6.5 sacks and 15 quarter- back hurries. He finished his high school career with 145 tackles, including 13 for loss and 19 sacks. Dayshaun Burnett DE | 6-3 | 220 | Pittsburgh Burnett received an offer from Penn State in June 2022. The Imani Christian prospect earned 16 scholarship offers and took unofficial visits to Pitt, Rutgers, Vir- ginia Tech, West Virginia and Wisconsin. However, by the time he committed to Penn State in February 2024, Burnett had taken seven visits to State College, which made it clear that the Nittany Lions were the team to beat. During his senior season, Burnett to- taled 75 tackles, 21 quarterback hurries, 11.5 sacks and 8 pass breakups. He also played tight end and caught 34 passes for 564 yards and 9 touchdowns. Listed by On3 as a three-star prospect and the No. 51 edge rusher nationally, Burnett is expected to enroll at Penn State in January. He earned Fabulous 22 honors from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in each of the past two seasons. Chaz Coleman DE | 6-4 | 220 | Warren, Ohio Coleman had mostly played quarter- back, but when Warren G. Harding High made a coaching change prior to his se- nior season, the new staff tried him at defensive end. He didn't disappoint, to- taling 68 tackles, including 16 for loss and 5 sacks, and 21 quarterback hurries. Coleman's film immediately grabbed the attention of top schools. Penn State offered him in September, joining Florida State, Kentucky, Michigan State, Ole Miss and others. Ohio State extended an of- fer shortly after he committed to Penn State on Nov. 10, and there were indica- tions that he planned on taking an official visit to Columbus just before signing day. However, the Nittany Lions were ulti- mately able to secure his commitment. Coleman made a massive jump in the rankings this fall, earning a four-star grade and joining the On300. He's now ranked as the nation's No. 191 overall prospect and No. 19 defensive end, as well as the No. 8 player in Ohio. Jabree Coleman RB | 6-0 | 200 | Darby Township, Pa. Coleman was a mainstay in the Imho- tep Charter backfield the past four sea- sons, totaling 4,140 yards rushing and 59 touchdowns. He also had 561 yards and 5 touchdowns as a receiver. During that stretch, he helped Imhotep go 46-7, in- cluding a 15-0 season in 2023 that ended in a Pennsylvania Class 5A state champi- onship. Coleman earned 21 scholarship offers from the likes of Michigan, Ole Miss, Or- egon, Tennessee and Texas A&M. How- ever, it was Georgia that first earned his attention. Coleman committed to Kirby Smart and his staff in July 2022 before reopening his recruitment in December 2023 and ultimately taking official vis- its to Penn State and North Carolina. He committed to PSU this past June. Coleman holds a four-star rating from By the end of early signing day, Penn State's big board numbered 26 players. Every player who was pledged to PSU going into the December signing period followed through on his commitment. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS