Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1531683
5 8 F E B R 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 stand out are Mathieu Kanu of Manas- sas, Va.; Terry Wiggins of Coatesville, Pa.; and Nick Abrams of Owings Mills, Md. Abrams is the lone four-star pros- pect in that trio. He attends McDonogh, a school Penn State has dominated in recent years. Wiggins was little known before his junior season but is now closing in on a dozen scholarship offers. He attended Penn State's White Out game in Novem- ber and has also checked out Maryland and Syracuse. Kanu, who stands 6-3, 221 pounds, has also seen his stock rise quickly this fall. He received an offer from Penn State after attending the White Out game and then returned as soon as possible for the season finale against Maryland. One other linebacker to watch is Simeon Caldwell of Jacksonville, Fla. Although he's listed as a safety by On3, Penn State believes the 6-3, 185-pound Caldwell projects better at linebacker at the next level. His father, Mike Caldwell, played linebacker in the NFL and now coaches the position for the Las Vegas Raiders. Cornerback Position coach Terry Smith will always find top talent at cornerback. The Nit- tany Lions are in the mix with Elbert Hill, who's ranked No. 2 at the position nation- ally, but the Akron, Ohio, native has also visited Ohio State 11 times already. The Buckeyes will be tough to beat. There are a few other four-star cor- nerbacks in the region with whom Penn State is in great position. David Davis of Pittsburgh has held an offer from the staff since his freshman season and is undoubtedly one of the best players in Western Pennsylvania. Listed at 5-10, 180 pounds, Davis has visited Penn State twice as often as any other school the past two years. It's hard to see Smith missing out on Pittsburgh's top 2026 prospect. Maryland native Khary Adams and Jaziel Hart of Virginia are also high on Penn State's board. Adams, who attends Loyola Blakefield in Towson, Md., is one of the region's fastest-rising pros- pects. Following his visit for the White Out game, he made it clear Penn State is among his early favorites, though South Carolina and Notre Dame are in the mix, too. Hart, who stands 6-0, 170 pounds, earned an offer after camping with Penn State in June and has visited four times since May. Michigan, NC State and Vir- ginia Tech are among the other schools he's visited multiple times. Safety Penn State added three-star Western Pennsylvania native Matt Sieg in No- vember. The staff is involved with a few other safety prospects, but Joey O'Brien of La Salle College High in Glenside, Pa., is at the top of the board. Ranked as the No. 103 overall player and No. 3 athlete in the country by On3, O'Brien attended three games at Penn State last fall and has totaled six visits overall. Notre Dame is also in a good po- sition with the 6-4, 180-pound pros- pect. Alabama, Ohio State and Tennessee hosted him for games last season, too. Fans should also keep an eye on Jordan Thomas of Oradell, N.J.; Darrell Carey of Hyattsville, Md., and Chris Hewitt of Towson, Md. Thomas has visited Penn State three times so far, as has Hewitt, the son of the Baltimore Ravens' second- ary coach, who goes by the same name. All three players hold three-star ratings from On3. ■ On3 Industry 2026 Team Recruiting Rankings As of Jan. 20 Rk. School Commits 1. Oregon 10 2. USC 8 3. Auburn 6 4. Texas A&M 10 5. LSU 6 6. Tennessee 8 7. Penn State 8 8. Florida State 6 9. Ohio State 4 10. South Carolina 6 Penn State has been pursuing four-star cornerback David Davis of Pittsburgh since his freshman season at Imani Christian Academy. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER