Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1534903
M A Y 2 0 2 5 4 9 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State boosted its secondary on April 18 when it received a verbal commitment from consensus three-star safety Darrell Carey. A standout at DeMatha Cath- olic in Hyattsville, Md., Carey earned his Penn State offer last November after attending the Nittany Lions' game against Ohio State. Listed at 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, Carey saw his list of offers nearly double to 19 schools during the January contact period for the 2026 class. In March, he narrowed his choices down to Penn State, Maryland, Oregon, South Carolina and Texas A&M. In the end, Maryland was the only other school that Carey visited prior to his trip to Penn State in mid-April. It was during that visit to State Col- lege that he became convinced it was time to commit. "We talked about it when I went up there to watch their practice," Carey said. "Then I called them up [on April 18] to let them know that I was ready to make my decision." Carey said Penn State had been the team to beat in his recruitment for months. He cited his relationship with the staff and how the Nittany Lions plan to use him as two major reasons for his choice. "It was mainly their coaching staff and their defensive scheme. I feel like I fit re- ally well into what they do," Carey said. "Also, the history that DeMatha has with Penn State is very strong. My school has always had a good connection with Penn State, and that helped me build a good connection with Coach [James] Franklin and Coach [Anthony] Poindexter. Not only do they feel like I fit well into their scheme, but they care about you gradu- ating and care about you as a person. It's just a good fit for me all around." Poindexter was especially important in landing Carey's commitment. The vet- eran assistant coach is getting set for his fifth season overseeing Penn State's safe- ties, and Carey appreciated his straight- forward demeanor. "I just love the fact that he's a real per- son. He's not the type to tell you what you want to hear," Carey said. "A lot of coaches tell you what you want to hear. Coach Dex always keeps it real. He's also been consistent with me for a year now. He's the kind of coach I've been looking for." While on campus in April, Carey had positive conversations with redshirt se- nior safety Zakee Wheatley. Carey men- tioned both Wheatley and NFL-bound safety Kevin Winston Jr. as Penn State players in whose footsteps he hopes to follow. "[Wheatley's] advice was to stay fo- cused when I got there and to stay on my grind," Carey said. "That's what both him and KJ did when they got there. They weren't there to fool around. They went there to ball." Carey said Penn State's staff has likened his game to that of Winston, another DeMatha standout. "KJ was one of the best safe- ties to ever come out of De- Matha, and Penn State made him into an NFL Draft pick," Carey said. "They see me now and believe that we have a similar style. They told me they're going to hold me to an even higher standard. That's what I need." During his junior season, Carey totaled 65 tackles and 3 interceptions, 2 of which he took back for touchdowns. He also allowed just 1 reception when matched up in man-to- man coverage. On3 lists Carey as the No. 90 safety na- tionally and No. 21 player in Maryland. In the On3 Industry Ranking, which pools the grades from all four major recruiting websites, he's the No. 657 overall prospect and No. 63 safety nationally and the No. 12 prospect in his home state. ■ DeMatha Safety Connects With PSU Coaching Staff RYA N S N Y D E R | RYA N . S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M Carey allowed only 1 pass reception when playing man-to-man coverage as a junior at DeMatha Catholic. PHOTO COURTESY ON3 COMMITMENT PROFILE DARRELL CAREY The best part of Darrell Carey's film is that there's little projection from how he's used at DeMatha to how he could be used at Penn State. Carey played a versatile role within his de- fense. He showed that he can match receivers and tight ends in the slot on third down, blitz, play near the line of scrimmage, and has good tape in a deep coverage role. The outline you should have in your head is a high-floor player who will need some time to develop the physical and positional skills nec- essary to see the field. Despite his size, there's plenty of work to do. — Thomas Frank Carr P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N