Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1542734
5 4 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 6 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Over the past seven years at Westside High in Omaha, Neb., head coach Paul Limongi and his staff have developed a dozen prospects who have gone on to play at the Power Four level, including current Atlanta Falcons safety Xavier Watts and Oregon linebacker Devon Jackson. The latest prominent player to emerge from the Westside program is Bryson Williams, a three-star safety who joined Penn State's class on Dec. 13 after hav- ing been committed to Iowa State when head coach Matt Campbell was still with the Cyclones. At 6-foot-4, 180 pounds, Williams appears to have both the physical tools and the intangibles to find success at the next level. "He came in [as a junior] and was obviously a bigger, longer kid who was explosive and fast. We knew he was athletic," Limongi said. "The question was, would he be able to be the physi- cal and aggressive hitter that we need at the safety position? We found out the first day of pads when we did an Oklahoma-type drill. He came up on his second play and showed everybody that wouldn't be a problem. "Ever since then, he's been a starter for us at safety and has made big play after big play." Williams finished with 139 tackles in two seasons at Westside. As a senior, he totaled 73 tackles and 6 interceptions. He also played wide receiver, totaling 23 receptions for 410 yards and 8 touch- downs. Williams will have to add weight be- fore he sees the field at the Big Ten level, but Limongi believes that's a realistic expectation. "I think he could p a c k o n 2 0 to 3 0 pounds and still be able to maneuver the way he does," the coach said. "He's already stronger than he looks, and he's only going to get stronger. … As good as he was in high school, his best football is still ahead of him." Williams is listed by Rivals as the No. 66 safety nationally and No. 12 prospect in Nebraska. — Ryan Snyder It didn't take long for defensive back Tyrell Chatman to discover that there was an opportunity awaiting him at Penn State after Matt Campbell took charge of the Nittany Lions' program in December. A three-star prospect from North Star High in Lincoln, Neb., Chatman had been committed to Iowa State since April. He signed with the Cyclones in early Decem- ber, but when Campbell and members of his staff left Ames a few days later, Chat- man began reconsidering his options. He joined PSU's class on Dec. 14, one day af- ter fellow Nebraskan Bryson Williams. "Coach [Deon] Broomfield texted me and said, 'We're coming for you. Be pa- tient.' That got me really excited," Chat- man said. "So, I was patient, prayed a lot, and that's how it started out. "After that, I had a couple more calls with Broomfield. Then Coach Campbell called me, and that's how I confirmed it. That's when I knew, 'Yeah, I'm going to Penn State.'" Iowa State's coaching change prompted other schools to reach out. Chatman said Min- nesota, Wisconsin and Northwestern all con- tacted him, even though they hadn't re- cruited him hard due to his commitment to the Cyclones. "They were just trying to get to know me," he said. "They all seemed pretty in- terested in me, but since I've been com- mitted to Iowa State for so long, they didn't really know me well. And once I got that text from Broomfield, I pretty much knew where the right spot was for me." The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Chatman played extensively on offense his junior and senior seasons, seeing action at quar- terback and throwing for 1,012 yards while adding 846 yards on the ground. On de- fense, he posted 88 tackles and 4 inter- ceptions in three varsity seasons. Listed by Rivals' scouts as the No. 37 safety nationally and No. 5 prospect in Nebraska, Chatman is eager to get his ca- reer underway in State College. "Penn State has always had a great football program," he said. "It's a great football culture, and I'm super excited to go to an elite program like this. I want to make sure I'm doing everything to con- tinue that success." — Ryan Snyder COMMITMENT PROFILE BRYSON WILLIAMS COMMITMENT PROFILE TYRELL CHATMAN Safety Prospect Comes From Power Four Pipeline Nebraska Defensive Back Makes A Quick Pivot To PSU Williams is a tall, high-cut safety. He will need to continue filling out, but I think he has a good frame. He had a quality senior season, showing some very good range playing safety. He's physical and makes plays on the ball. I think his ball skills were very encouraging, and he also played both ways for his high school, so we saw his skills translate on offense, too. — Charles Power, Rivals director of scouting and rankings P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N Chatman is listed by Rivals as a safety, but he projects as a zone cover corner- back with man coverage upside. When he sees the field on defense, he's rarely targeted and keeps his deep quarter or third protected with great coverage and mirroring of routes. Because he's been used extensively on offense, his deeper level of defensive skill is relatively un- known, but he does appear to have true outside cornerback potential. — Thomas Frank Carr P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N