Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1532761
M A R C H 2 0 2 5 47 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 / / / / / / / F or months, Matt Outten had been one of Penn State's most coveted targets. The highly sought wide receiver from Virginia had been on campus for an official visit in June and also took several unofficial trips earlier in the year. With the Nittany Lions in urgent need of pass catchers, it seemed like a natural fit. Outten ended up catching many observers off guard by committing to Virginia Tech on July 1. But Penn State receivers coach Marques Hagans and recruiting staffers Kenny Sanders and Khalil Ahmad stayed in touch with Out- ten, and there were signs that the inter- est was reciprocal. On Sept. 2, two days after Penn State opened its 2024 season by routing West Virginia, 34-12, Outten announced that he'd had a change of heart. The 6-foot- 1, 205-pounder from I.C. Norcom High in Portsmouth expressed his gratitude to Virginia Tech but said he felt that Penn State offered him a better oppor- tunity to fulfill his potential. "I understand that my decision may come as a disappointment, and I want to assure you that it was not made lightly," he wrote. "I know that this decision is necessary for me to pursue my academic and athletic aspirations in a way that will allow me to reach my full potential." Outten totaled more than 20 scholar- ship offers between April 2023 and May 2024. For the most part, he didn't pub- licize his visits, but he checked out Penn State four times dating back to Novem- ber 2023 when he was on hand for the Nittany Lions' game against Michigan. He then returned to State College for junior day in February before taking a personal visit with the staff in April to watch a spring practice session. His fi- nal trip came on June 7 when he made his official visit. Virginia Tech also hosted him three times, while Maryland welcomed him twice. Other notable programs that extended offers were Syracuse, Duke, Georgia, Indiana, Pitt, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Outten finished with 28 receptions for 641 yards and 4 touchdowns in his final season at I.C. Norcom, helping the Greyhounds go 8-5 and reach the Re- gion 3A final. He played in six games as a junior, totaling 22 catches for 480 yards and 6 touchdowns while also contributing on defense and special teams. Charles Power, On3's director of scouting and rankings, sees Outten as a versatile player who could develop into a significant contributor for PSU in the years to come. "The biggest thing with Outten is go- ing to be honing in on his technical abil- ity, polishing up his routes and continu- ing to improve his ball skills just to make him a complete receiver," Power said. "He's a guy who, at minimum, projects as a player Penn State can have suc- cess with in the quick game, the screen game." — Sean Fitz After committing to Virginia Tech last summer, Outten reconsidered his options and joined the Lions' class in September. PHOTO BY SEAN FITZ MATT OUTTEN Virginia receiver sees opportunity to make an impact at Penn State WR | 6-1 | 205 I.C. Norcom Portsmouth, Va. Rankings Stars Nat. Pos.* State On3 Industry ★★★★ 270 6 5 On3 ★★★★ — 10 11 247Sports ★★★★ 196 10 4 ESPN ★★★★ 249 8 7 Rivals ★★★ — 95 21 * Listed by On3 as an athlete Statistics • Finished with 28 receptions for 641 yards and 4 touchdowns as a senior • Totaled 22 catches for 480 yards and 6 touchdowns while adding 125 yards and 2 scores on the ground in six games as a junior Notable • Was a team captain as a senior • Received team MVP honors his junior and senior seasons • Enrolled at Penn State in January Recruitment • Committed to Penn State on Sept. 2, 2024 • Recruited by wide receivers coach Marques Hagans • Picked Penn State over Virginia Tech, Mary- land and Syracuse • Officially visited on June 7, 2024 2025 Projection Outten has reportedly impressed since ar- riving on campus in January. There weren't a lot of reliable testing numbers from his high school career, giving rise to concerns about his speed. He put those worries to rest by running a 4.40-second 40-yard dash in January. Penn State has immediate needs at wide receiver, so Outten will bear watch- ing in the Blue-White Game and beyond. He could be an early-impact freshman for the Lions. They Said It On3 scouting director Charles Power: "Outten is a very interesting prospect. He has more of a running back skill set and build for a wide receiver. I think he's a guy who really shows his best with the ball in his hands. He's great at producing yards after the catch. He's a guy that you can hand the ball off to on speed sweeps and even flex him into the backfield if you want to. I think he's a versatile piece." T H E O U T T E N F I L E