Penn State Sports Magazine
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J U N E / J U L Y 2 0 2 5 51 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M F our-star prospect Terry Wiggins of Coatesville, Pa., established himself as a key player on Penn State's linebacker board after receiving an offer from the Nittany Lions in the fall. Now he's a member of coach James Franklin's 2026 recruiting class. Wiggins committed to Penn State on May 2, less than a week af- ter taking an unofficial visit for the Blue- White Game. "He realized where he needed to be," said Wiggins' father, Terence. "Some- times the recruiting process can become overwhelming, and he's not necessarily a kid who likes a lot of attention. It can be- come a lot, so if you're 100 percent sure where you want to be, why not end it?" The 6-foot-3, 205-pound prospect took an official visit to Kentucky in April and had official visits scheduled to Cin- cinnati and Syracuse for the summer. Boston College, Maryland, Michigan State, Missouri, Virginia Tech and oth- ers offered as well. Wiggins also visited Penn State for a junior day in January and came away with strong feelings about staying in his home state. "Coach Franklin was talking a lot about how the best players in PA stay in PA," Wiggins said. "But more than that, he was also saying I should make sure I take my time with the process. That's what everybody from Penn State has been preaching to me. They want me to make sure that I find the right school that best fits me. "But they were also making sure that I knew I was a top priority. They let me know that I'm really wanted at Penn State, which is a big thing for me. I want to make sure I go to the school where I feel like I'm most wanted." Wiggins began his ascent as a sopho- more at Coatesville Area High. He started out the season backing up a senior at out- side linebacker but steadily saw his play- ing time increase. "We didn't really want to throw him to the wolves as a sophomore until he was ready," Coatesville coach Matt Ortega said. "By the end of his sophomore year, he kind of overtook that kid and won the position. So, a lot of the plays that he made his sophomore season were toward the end of the year. "We always knew how good he could be, but that's when we started to really see the glimpses of his upside. Our goal was to always just make sure he was ready when we put him in there. When he did take that position over at the end of the year, he was just a terror on the field during the last three games of the season for us as a sophomore. That experience played a role in getting him ready for his junior year." Wiggins was recently elevated to four- star status by On3. He carries a four-star rating according to the On3 Industry Ranking and checks in as the nation's No. 323 overall prospect, No. 22 linebacker and No. 10 prospect in Pennsylvania. In On3's rankings, Wiggins is No. 220 over- all, No. 15 at linebacker and No. 6 in his home state. Wiggins' trip to State College in Janu- ary gave him an opportunity to see a side of Penn State that he wasn't able to check out during his previous visit, which was for the Nittany Lions' White Out win over Washington in November. The Lasch Building, with its many recent upgrades, made a big impression. "Seeing their facilities was really cool to me," Wiggins said. "I got to see how Penn State breeds the best players in the country between their weight room, their nutrition room, their meeting rooms. It was very cool to see all their facilities. I was excited to get up there and tour ev- erything. It didn't disappoint." ■ Coatesville Standout Will Stay Close To Home S E A N F I T Z | S E A N . F I T Z @ O N 3 . C O M Wiggins took an official visit to Kentucky but shut down his recruitment shortly after attending PSU's spring game in late April. PHOTO COURTESY ON3 COMMITMENT PROFILE TERRY WIGGINS Terry Wiggins' film stacks up well. He has a big frame and good size. He's one of the taller guys among those top-ranked linebackers, and he has solid length. At 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, it looks as though he's got the capacity to put on more weight as well. We also like the versatility he showed on his junior film. Wiggins is athletic and can run sideline to sideline. He can rush the passer and looks comfortable in space. We thought, based on the film and his size, that he stacked up really well within that group. There's a pretty large group of linebackers who have 90 ratings, and he's one of the ascending prospects in that group. There are prospects go- ing in both directions in that group, but we view him as an ascending player and certainly a four-star. — Charles Power, On3 director of scouting and rankings P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N