Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1532761
4 0 M A R C H 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 / / / / / / / T H E C L A S S O F 2 0 2 5 / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / P enn State recruiting coordinator Alan Zemaitis can recount Jahmir Joseph's production on the football field at will. One of the best prospects in New Jersey for the 2025 class, the cornerback routinely produced game-changing plays and made sure his competition knew it. And that quality extended beyond the gridiron. Reminiscing on Joseph's athletic ex- ploits at St. Joseph Regional, Zemaitis recalled a hardcourt matchup with one of Don Bosco Prep's best players. "Whenever that kid would get on a fast break, get a steal, there was noth- ing stopping him. But when they got the ball to half court and Jahmir had to cover him, he was locking him down the whole game," Zemaitis said. "Jahmir will dunk on you. He's all-conference in the Big North, which is a big deal in terms of basketball. And he's a football player. He's going to be a 1,000-point scorer for his high school. "He's a competitor. He competes and he lets the opposing team know that he's not going anywhere. He shows his physi- cality when he's tackling and when he's covering guys." The Nittany Lions are eager to see that quality translate to the college game. Conducting a no-nonsense recruitment that included four visits to Penn State's campus in 2022, '23 and again in '24 ahead of his June verbal commitment, he maintained a businesslike approach to close out his high school campaign. He was named a team captain and was recognized with the program's distin- guished Cy Menard Award for his con- duct on and off the field. Leaning into that leadership role, an area of concen- tration throughout the months entering his final season, Joseph found that he meshed seamlessly with Penn State. "I did go back and forth with Notre Dame, but the last visit I had with Penn State made me think that my decision and what I wanted to do was correct," he said. "I just felt a better connection, and with it being closer to home, that also played a big part." Penn State cornerbacks coach Terry Smith "really believes in what he says," Joseph added. "Plus, he's helped put guys in the league. I like how they run their defense. That means a lot to me because I like playing man-to-man. ... I think I fit well in their scheme." — Nate Bauer Joseph finished with 115 tackles and 10 interceptions in his last three seasons at St. Joseph Regional. PHOTO COURTESY ON3 JAHMIR JOSEPH Cornerback prospect brings 'dynamic' athleticism to secondary CB | 6-0 | 180 St. Joseph Regional (N.J.) Nyack, N.Y. Rankings Stars Nat. Pos. State On3 Industry ★★★★ 214 28 5 On3 ★★★★ 251 26 7 247Sports ★★★★ — 29 6 ESPN ★★★★ 289 32 8 Rivals ★★★★ 161 17 3 Statistics • Finished with 29 tackles plus 4 intercep- tions and 11 pass breakups during his senior season • Totaled 115 tackles in his final three sea- sons, making 4 tackles for loss, 10 intercep- tions, 34 pass deflections, 5 forced fumbles, 2 blocked punts and 2 blocked field goals Notable • Was a team captain at St. Joseph Regional during his senior season • Earned first-team all-conference designa- tion Recruitment • First visit to Penn State took place in April 2022 • Earned an offer from the Nittany Lions in August 2023 • Took his official visit to PSU in June 2024 • Recruited by cornerbacks coach Terry Smith • Committed to Penn State on June 17, 2024, after giving serious consideration to Notre Dame 2025 Projection Joseph is going to evoke some comparisons to former PSU cornerback Johnny Dixon, and that's not too far-fetched. He likes to trail and does get away with some grabbing, much like Dixon did in his career. He'll have to clean that up or at least be more discreet at the college level. There's going to be a learning curve, and with Penn State being fairly deep at corner- back, it's likely that Joseph will redshirt. They Said It On3 scouting director Charles Power: "Joseph's ball skills and his coverage instincts stand out. He does a good job of reading re- ceivers off the line of scrimmage. He redirects quickly while staying in phase. Once the ball is in the air, he does a great job of tracking, see- ing the ball, and locating it for interceptions and pass breakups. I think you're getting a polished, instinctive corner who is fairly ad- vanced at his position." T H E J O S E P H F I L E