Penn State Sports Magazine
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5 6 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 P enn State signed 27 players in De- cember, and while the staff will continue working to add to the class before the 2025 recruiting cycle of- ficially ends in February, there's already a lot for fans to be excited about. To get a better feel for the players who stand out, we picked a few fun categories in which to offer our thoughts on the class and what fans should expect from these players in the years ahead. Future Captains After Penn State recruiting staffer Alan Zemaitis went out of his way to rave about Daryus Dixson on signing day, I had to in- clude the Southern California cornerback here. He's from a talent-filled high school program, and yet he was a four-year let- terman, playing in nine games during his freshman year. In addition to what that says about his game, it also says a lot about Dixson's ma- turity. He was ready to see the field as a freshman at Mater Dei, which boasts one of the best high school programs in the country. I've only interviewed him a handful of times, but I could tell right away that he has a level of self-assurance that's rare for a teenager. He knows what's important and what's not. "The way that he was raised is very similar in terms of the morals and values that my parents instilled in me," Zemaitis said. "He's hard-working, no-nonsense. … To me, that's the fabric of being a Penn Stater, and we connected on that part of it first and foremost. He's the type of guy that I want in the program, and that I grew to be very fond of. I loved his drive and work ethic." Another player who deserves to be mentioned here is offensive tackle Owen Aliciene. Last winter, I talked with Jon Wholley, Aliciene's coach at Avon Old Farms in Connecticut, and he spoke very highly of the offensive lineman's person- ality and how he's not afraid to speak up. "I don't know if he's ever been asked to be a leader until now, but he does have the kind of personality that can get people to do things," Wholley said. At the time, Aliciene had played only two years of football, and yet his coach was commenting on how he was already one of the leading voices on the team. Being a Division I offensive tackle buys you credibility at that age, but that's not the case at the next level. If he can become a regular contributor down the road, it wouldn't surprise me if he turns out to be a leader in the room. Most Athletic I never thought I'd find myself high- lighting a player here for whom we don't have verified numbers, but that just goes to show how exciting four-star defensive end Chaz Coleman is on film. "I think that kid is as dynamic an ath- lete as we've had in a while," Zemaitis said on signing day. "You watch his basket- ball clips, and the way that he can flush the basketball is special. I think we're just scratching the surface from a football as- pect, and he's pretty natural at that. You watch him play tight end, and he's very natural and gifted on the offensive side of the ball. With his ability to bend and make plays on defense, you feel like the sky's the limit for a kid like that. "I think when he gets with Deion [Barnes, Penn State's defensive line coach], and he really starts to get polished, he's going to be as good as anybody in the country when it's all said and done." SIGNING DAY SUPERLATIVES Assessing the highs and lows of Penn State's 2025 recruiting cycle RYA N S N Y D E R | RYA N . S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M Cornerback Daryus Dixson has impressed Penn State's staff with his maturity. He was a four-year starter at Mater Dei in Southern California, one of the best high school programs in the country. PHOTO COURTESY DARYUS DIXSON