Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1540433
3 0 N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M his junior season and all of his senior year with an injury, there was a window to be more aggressive. Keys was kicked out of school in August 2024 following a sexual assault allegation. Penn State went hot and cold on Trotter, a three-star prospect from St. Joseph's Prep in Philadelphia. The Lions' indeci- sion led him to choose West Virginia early in the cycle. Another in-state three-star prospect, Phil Picciotti of Perkasie, was in the same boat. He eventually picked Oklahoma before transferring to UCF. Penn State was also high on Arvell Reese of Glenville High in Cleveland. Ohio State was dragging its feet but ended up signing the four-star prospect. That decision has worked out nicely for the Buckeyes; he's become one of the Big Ten's top defenders. A notable misstep — in hindsight, of course — was the lukewarm assessment of Jordan Hall. A Virginia native who was attending IMG Academy in Florida, Hall visited Penn State a few times early in his recruitment and wanted to get back for more. PSU liked him but didn't love him. A number of other programs felt the same way about Hall. He landed at Michigan State and has turned into a dependable player and vocal leader for the Spartans. Dominic DeLuca's first year (after a grayshirt to heal a high school knee injury) was 2021, so technically that was the oldest class referenced in our survey of Penn State's current linebacker situation. Here's a look at the scholarship linebackers PSU has brought to campus since that class arrived. Class of 2021 Kobe King (hit) Jamari Buddin (miss, transferred to New Mexico State) Penn State was content with two linebackers from Detroit in the last class before Michigan native Tim Banks left the Lions' staff to become defensive coordinator at Tennessee. This was also the COVID-19 cycle that did not have official visits. Familiar names from the 2021 class include Michigan's Junior Colson and Florida State's Patrick Payton, who eventually became an edge player and transferred to LSU. Class of 2022 Abdul Carter (hit, moved to defensive end) Keon Wylie (active) Defensive coordinator Brent Pry recruited most of Penn State's 2022 linebacker class, then left to become head coach at Virginia Tech. Carter played right away as a freshman, while Wylie is still hoping to break through. Other targets in this cycle included Jaishawn Barham (now at Michigan after signing with Maryland), Wesley Bissainthe (Miami), Omar Graham Jr. (Florida State) and Moses Walker (Rutgers). Class of 2023 Tony Rojas (active, injured) DaKaari Nelson (active, moved from safety) Ta'Mere Robinson (miss, transferred to USC) Kaveion Keys (miss, kicked out of school) In defensive coordinator Manny Diaz's first class, the Nittany Li- ons made a transition from more traditional linebackers to outside guys. Nelson wasn't originally a linebacker prospect, but he struggled in space upon arriving and still hasn't taken the next step at his new position. He's been good on special teams, though. It seemed like a balanced class at the time, with Robinson a likely Mike, Rojas a Will and Kaveion Keys a Sam after he flipped from North Carolina late. Keys lasted one year on campus before getting the boot, while Robinson left this past spring for USC. Class of 2024 Anthony Speca (active) Kari Jackson (active, injured) The pendulum swung back in the 2024 class, with the Lions picking up early commitments from a pair of players in Speca and Jackson who profiled as Mike linebackers. Regarding outside guys, Elijah Newby surprised many by com- mitting early to USC. The Lions hosted five-star Chris Cole from Virginia, but he signed with Georgia. Penn State thought Speca's Pittsburgh Central Catholic team- mate Cole Sullivan was an edge rusher. By the time the Nittany Lions changed their minds, he was committed to Michigan. Class of 2025 Alex Tatsch (active) Cam Smith (active) LaVar Arrington II (active) Penn State appears to have ended up with a pretty solid crop of linebackers in the latest cycle, but it will take time to properly evaluate the group. It was definitely an odd cycle. PSU originally had a commitment from DJ McClary, who ended up flipping to Rutgers. The Lions also took Dayshaun Burnett as a linebacker be- fore switching him to defensive end. Penn State tried to make a run at Duke commit Bradley Gompers after flipping Smith earlier in the cycle. Gompers stuck with the Blue Devils, however. — Sean Fitz Assessing Penn State's Recent Hits And Misses Abdul Carter developed into an All-American and first-round NFL Draft pick after arriving at Penn State as a four-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL