Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1532761
M A R C H 2 0 2 5 3 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / P L A Y E R B I O S / / / / / / / P enn State picked up one of its top wide receiver targets in the 2025 class with the addition of Jeff Exinor Jr. last June. A standout at the McDonogh School in Owings Mills, Md., Exinor earned an offer from the Nittany Lions in June 2021, well before he had ever played a game at the high school level. Penn State's early interest was largely due to the personal relationship between Ex- inor's family and Kenny Sanders, PSU's director of player personnel. "Kenny is a friend of my late uncle, David Lunn Jr.," Exinor said. "They went to McDonogh together and were very close. I've known Kenny since I was born, and we have an amazing re- lationship." Even with that connection work- ing in their favor, the coaches still had to prove that Penn State was the right school for him. A four-star prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking, Exinor earned 20 scholarship offers and visited more than 10 schools over the course of his recruitment. His finalists were Penn State, Maryland and Virginia Tech, with all three receiving official visits. The Terrapins proved to be tough competitors, but first-year offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki put Penn State in the lead when he explained how Exinor fit into the Lions' plans on of- fense. "My meeting with him was very eye- opening," Exinor said. "He told me about his scheme, but when we had a one-on-one meeting, he emphasized my play style and how I could do a little bit of everything at my size. He said he'll put me in positions to showcase my talent, whether that's in the slot, inside, outside, on go routes or short screens." Exinor, who totaled 2,177 yards re- ceiving and 26 touchdowns in three var- sity seasons, was hosted on his official visit to Penn State by redshirt freshman defensive end Mason Robinson, another McDonogh alum. The receiver came away from his trip feeling as though he'd gotten a thorough look at what PSU had to offer. "I loved just how honest everybody was with me," he said. "There was abso- lutely zero sugarcoating, and everything was just so genuine." Listed at 6-foot-1, 220 pounds, Ex- inor has a bigger frame than most of Penn State's wide receivers. How- ever, he also proved last summer to be a very good athlete at that size, run- ning a 4.6-second 40-yard dash and a 4.3-second shuttle at the Baltimore Under Armour camp. He also had a 10- foot, 1-inch broad jump, which was one of the best showings of any player at the camp. "Him running 4.65 at 217 pounds, I thought that was pretty impressive," said Charles Power, On3's director of scouting and rankings. "But also, his shuttle and his jumps were pretty good, too, so I think that's certainly a feather in his cap. All of his numbers were bet- ter than what I expected them to be." — Ryan Snyder Exinor had close ties with Penn State's staff, but the Lions still had to fight off Maryland, Virginia Tech and others to earn his signature. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER JEFF EXINOR JR. Nittany Lions' early interest pays off with Baltimore wide receiver WR | 6-1 | 220 McDonogh Baltimore, Md. Rankings Stars Nat. Pos. State On3 Industry ★★★★ 325 49 11 On3 ★★★ — 114 25 247Sports ★★★★ 208 11 7 ESPN ★★★★ 219 7 7 Rivals ★★★ — 69 12 Statistics • Posted 30 receptions for 463 yards and 6 touchdowns as a senior • Totaled 76 receptions for 926 yards and 11 touchdowns his junior season Notable • Led McDonogh to a 10-2 record in 2024 • Was a team captain his senior season • Maryland Football Foundation consensus all-state selection as a senior • Four-year starter and a captain as a senior Recruitment • Committed to Penn State on June 28, 2024 • Recruited by wide receivers coach Marques Hagans • Picked Penn State over Maryland and Vir- ginia Tech 2025 Projection It's no secret that Penn State needs players to step up at the wide receiver position. Physi- cally, the 6-foot-1, 220-pound Exinor is ahead of the Lions' other three incoming freshman wide receivers, but he won't enroll until the summer. Because of that, he'll most likely use his redshirt season in 2025. Still, if Exinor can adjust to the college game within a few months, we wouldn't be surprised if he played in four games next fall. They Said It McDonogh head coach Hakeem Sule: "He's just always doing whatever is best for the team. When our quarterback got hurt, he ended up being our starting quarterback and leading us for three games doing Wildcat stuff. That's what I love about Jeff. He's just so versatile and the ultimate competitor. He's a true football player. Off the field, on the field, he's what it's all about." T H E E X I N O R F I L E