Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1532761
M A R C H 2 0 2 5 41 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 / / / / / / / T he question for Yvan Kemajou is straightforward. Landing at Penn State at 6-foot-3, 235 pounds in Janu- ary, he's listed as a defensive end on the program's initial roster. Whether he stays there is another matter entirely. A standout performer at Paint Branch in Burtonsville, Md., Kemajou has spent most of his football career playing de- fensive end. But, with a frame that ap- pears capable of putting on weight and continuing to grow, he could have a fu- ture as a defensive tackle. Regardless, his fit with Penn State was one that cemented itself early in the recruiting process for the On3 Industry Ranking four-star prospect. Impressed with what he was hearing from defen- sive line coach Deion Barnes and head coach James Franklin, Kemajou couldn't pass up the connection. "Coach Franklin really explained ev- erything that's good about Penn State for me, like sending people to the league and how much they care about academ- ics," Kemajou said. "We really liked the academics part. They have great foot- ball, that's obvious, but they really care about academics, too. We love that." By July, those qualities were enough to warrant a decision. Having spent much of the summer taking visits across the country, he made a final trip to Penn State for the Lasch Bash, which was enough to tip the scales for the Nittany Lions. "My top three came down to Penn State, Virginia Tech and Rutgers," Ke- majou said. "During the last month, I was having different meetings with each of those schools. We were asking any remaining questions that we had. "Tech and Rutgers both showed a lot of love. It was definitely a hard decision. Penn State was always up there for me, but Virginia Tech and Rutgers gave them a run." Ultimately picking the Nittany Lions, Kemajou acknowledged the many fac- tors that went into his decision. "We all already know how great Penn State is football-wise, and that was one of the obvious reasons," Kemajou said. "But when I went there for my official visit, I saw how much they cared about education and how much they stress being a true student-athlete. They make sure their players get a lot of sup- port. I thought that was great. "But also, later in the process, after I visited, they reached out a lot. They were always making sure my family had every question answered. They did everything they could to show that Penn State was the right school for me. I really appreciated the effort they showed." — Nate Bauer Kemajou totaled 40 tackles, including 5 sacks, as a senior at Paint Branch High in Burtonsville, Md. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER YVAN KEMAJOU Academic options help sway Maryland defensive lineman to PSU DE | 6-3 | 235 Paint Branch Burtonsville, Md. Rankings Stars Nat. Pos. State On3 Industry ★★★★ 285 32 8 On3 ★★★ — 48 13 247Sports ★★★★ 178 18 5 ESPN ★★★ — 49 12 Rivals ★★★★ — 29 10 Statistics • Helped lead Paint Branch to a 9-2 record in 2024 • Finished with 40 tackles, 5 sacks, 1 forced fumble and a fumble recovery to go with 4 touchdowns as a senior • As a junior, produced 40 tackles and 7.5 sacks Notable • Was a two-time captain at Paint Branch • Maryland Football Foundation consensus all-state selection and Washington Post All- Met pick as a senior Recruitment • Chose Penn State over Virginia Tech and Rutgers • Took official visits to Penn State, North- western, Rutgers, Duke, Indiana and Virginia Tech ahead of his senior season • Recruited by defensive line coach Deion Barnes • Committed to the Nittany Lions on July 31, 2024 2025 Projection Kemajou is a raw prospect, but he showed tremendous growth between his junior and senior seasons. Penn State originally saw him as an interior defender, and nature will have the last word on that, but he'll begin his Penn State career at defensive end. He's a border- line redshirt candidate, but the exciting part of his career will come with time spent in the weight room with Chuck Losey and on the field with Deion Barnes. Kemajou has a mas- sive ceiling, even if it remains to be seen which spot he'll line up at. They Said It BWI publisher Sean Fitz: "The stock arrow is definitely pointing up for Kemajou. He may have the best senior film of any Penn State commit in the class of 2025, and it backs up some of the things that we knew about him coming into the fall. The 6-foot-3, 235-pound prospect was initially slated to be an interior defensive lineman at the next level. Now, I'm not so sure. Some of the things that he showed on his senior film could translate well to staying on the edge in college." T H E K E M A J O U F I L E