Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1539550
O C T O B E R 2 0 2 5 5 7 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Ranked as the nation's No. 267 overall prospect, No. 15 linebacker and No. 10 player in Pennsylvania, Lockley is set to be back on campus for the White Out game on Sept. 27. Scott, who's also listed at 6-1, 220 pounds, has a lot of interest in Penn State, but it appears that his junior film will have an impact on how hard the staff pushes in the months ahead. He has already confirmed he'll be back on campus for the game against Oregon and has the Ducks among his top schools, along with Nebraska and Tennessee. He's listed by Rivals as the nation's No. 19 linebacker and No. 12 player in Pennsylvania. Penn State is also high on Noah Glover of Battlefield High in Haymarket, Va., and Mikahi Allen of Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, N.J. Glover is listed at No. 144 nationally and No. 10 at the position. The 6-2, 200-pound outside linebacker prospect visited Penn State in April and will see his first game at Beaver Stadium on Sept. 27. Clemson, Georgia, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Tennessee are all in the mix. Allen visited PSU last season but hasn't been on campus yet. He's spoken highly of several SEC programs, while Clemson, Notre Dame and Ohio State all hosted him this summer. It feels like Penn State has work to do with the 6-1, 225-pound linebacker. One other player to note is Zayden Smith of Mechanicsburg, Pa. The 6-4, 200-pound Smith is unranked, but he earned offers from Penn State and Ohio State after camping at those schools in June. While the Cumberland Valley prospect could potentially develop into an edge rusher, his best fit for now is at linebacker. CORNERBACK Position coach Terry Smith has signed some talented cornerbacks from outside the Mid-Atlantic region, and he may have to do it again in the 2027 cycle. Most of the nearly two dozen of- fers he's extended so far have been to players outside of PSU's normal recruit- ing footprint. Until visits start taking place this fall, it's hard to say which of those players will eventually emerge as serious targets. There are a few players within driv- ing distance that the staff likes, notably Carter Bonner of Penn Hills in Pitts- burgh. Rivals lists the 6-3, 180-pound Bonner as the nation's No. 173 overall player nationally, as well as the No. 6 athlete and No. 7 prospect in Pennsyl- vania. The four-star player hasn't taken many visits so far but has been to Penn State a few times, most recently in April. Bonner has strong ties with Smith, so that bodes well for Penn State's chances. At the same time, he's also one of the quieter players in the region, which makes his recruitment a bit more difficult to read compared to some. The Nittany Lions also hosted St. Frances Academy four-star prospect Raylaun Henry for the game against Ne- vada. Listed at 5-10, 160 pounds, Henry admitted after the visit that Texas A&M, Ohio State and Alabama are his top three schools, with Penn State sit- ting in fourth place. However, he also confirmed he'll be back for the White Out game, giving the staff another op- portunity to make up ground. Levi Babin and Khalid Rainer are two Virginia players worth monitoring. Babin, who plays at Episcopal in Alex- andria, just earned an offer from the staff in August. The 6-0, 180-pound prospect isn't ranked yet, but that will likely change soon. Rainer is a teammate of Penn State 2026 commit Davion Brown at Trinity Episcopal in Richmond. A three-star prospect, Rainer was last on campus in April and has made it clear he's high on the Nittany Lions. The 5-11, 175-pound cornerback, ranked No. 50 at his po- sition and No. 10 in Virginia, also has interest in Duke, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wisconsin. SAFETY Penn State already holds a 2027 com- mitment at the safety position in three- star prospect Gabe Jenkins of Imani Christian Academy in Pittsburgh. In addition, PSU expects to sign three safeties in the 2026 class. That should allow position coach Anthony Poindex- ter to aim high moving forward. It's not going to be easy, but Honor Fa'alave-Johnson of San Diego is one of those national prospects to keep an eye on. Ranked No. 31 nationally, No. 3 among safeties and No. 1 in California by Rivals, Fa'alave-Johnson is one of the top prospects in the country. He's listed at 6-0, 190 pounds and is planning to attend the Sept. 27 White Out game, which will be his first trip to Happy Val- ley. Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas and USC are all in the mix. Most believe Oregon is in the best position to sign him. There are also a few Northeastern prospects worth mentioning, starting with Jonathan Galette of St. Joseph Re- gional in Montvale, N.J. The three-star player is Rivals' No. 47 safety and No. 10 player in New Jersey. He's a former teammate of current PSU freshman cor- nerback Jahmir Joseph. At 5-11, 170 pounds, Galette has been to Penn State three times so far, with a fourth visit set for the Oregon game on Sept. 27. Michigan will host him the fol- lowing week. Ryan Wooten from St. Peter's Prep in Jersey City, N.J., is also worth mention- ing after he attended the season opener against Nevada. At 6-2, 175 pounds, Wooten has the long frame that Poind- exter covets. He's a three-star prospect according to Rivals, as well as the No. 51 safety nationally and No. 11 player in New Jersey. His performance this fall will likely impact his chances with Penn State. ■ RIVALS INDUSTRY 2026 TEAM RECRUITING RANKINGS As of Sept. 16 Rk. School Commits 1. USC 32 2. Georgia 31 3. Notre Dame 27 4. Oregon 17 5. Texas 21 6. Texas A&M 27 7. Alabama 21 8. Tennessee 24 9. Ohio State 21 10. Michigan 23 16. Penn State 25