Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1531683
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 5 5 7 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M side High in Taylor. Although he's not ranked, the 6-3, 300-pound lineman camped with Trautwein three times last summer, earning an offer following that last camp. He's in no rush to decide, but his six visits to State College since June are a positive sign. Defensive End Penn State has an edge rusher com- mitted in Princeton, W.Va., prospect Daniel Jennings. However, PSU will also continue to pursue a handful of very good defensive ends in the region, in- cluding Zion Elee of Joppa, Md. The nation's top-ranked overall player according to On3, Elee made an early commitment to Maryland in December, but that's not going to stop the staff from pursuing the 6-3, 220-pounder. Expect many of the nation's other top programs to continue recruiting Elee. Three other important targets are Luke Wafle of Middletown, N.J.; Carter Mead- ows of Washington, D.C.; and Jackson Ford of Phoenixville, Pa. Wafle, who checks in at 6-4, 225 pounds, holds a three-star rating from On3 but is a four- star prospect in the On3 Industry Rank- ing, which combines the grades from 247Sports, On3, Rivals and ESPN to pro- duce a cumulative rating. He's taken four visits to both Penn State and Michigan, but older brother Owen Wafle recently transferred out of Ann Arbor to PSU, so that will likely hurt the Wolverines' chances. Meadows and Ford both hold four- star ratings and rank within the On300. Meadows, the nation's No. 257 overall prospect, has been quiet about his re- cruitment, but he has visited Penn State twice, most recently for the UCLA game in October. Georgia, Michigan, Notre Dame and Ohio State have also offered. Ford, who checks in No. 215 in the country, earned his offer after camping with the staff in July. The Malvern Prep prospect then attended PSU's games against UCLA and Washington last sea- son. Michigan, Rutgers and Tennessee have also hosted him. Defensive Tackle Penn State has missed on a few of the region's top-ranked defensive tackles in recent years, but it's off to a strong start with two very good regional play- ers for 2026. Damari Simeon of Egg Harbor Township, N.J., is the top- ranked player in that group at No. 46 nationally and No. 3 at the position. The 6-2, 275-pound prospect camped at Penn State in June, which gave the staff an early leg up on the competi- tion. However, Notre Dame looks like a school that will likely be in the mix until the end. Alex Haskell of St. Joseph's Prep in Philadelphia is also very high on the staff's board. Listed at 6-4, 245 pounds, he holds a three-star rating from On3, but Penn State rates him among its most important targets at the posi- tion. He's visited five times since June 2023 and hasn't been too active visiting other schools. Early indications suggest there's a good chance he ends up in this class. Outside of the Mid-Atlantic region, fans should pay attention to four-star prospects Titan Davis of St. Louis and Keshawn Stancil of Clayton, N.C. Stan- cil attended Penn State's White Out Camp in July and has since seen his Power Four offers nearly triple. Davis is ranked No. 75 nationally and seventh overall at the position. He at- tended this year's White Out game and has indicated that the Nittany Lions are on pace to earn an official visit next summer. Linebacker Penn State has offered more than 30 linebacker prospects nationally, but five in particular seem to have the Nittany Lions among their early favorites, four of whom reside within the region. At the top of that list is Lewis Center, Ohio, native Kaden Gebhardt. The 6-1, 200-pound prospect was a teammate of current PSU freshman quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer at Olentangy High. They remain close friends, and that re- lationship put Penn State in the driver's seat early on. A recent offer from Ohio State is noteworthy, but he's aiming to commit early in 2025. Gebhardt feels like a good bet to end up in PSU's class. He holds a three-star rating from On3. The other three regional prospects that Listed by On3 as the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2026 class, Zion Elee committed to Maryland in December, but Penn State has continued to recruit the five-star defensive end from Joppa, Md. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER