Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1543434
5 4 M A R C H 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 / / / / / / / T H E C L A S S O F 2 0 2 6 / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / as a pass catcher, but he's also hyper- physical on both sides of the ball. He could be used in a lot of ways. I could see him as a receiver, but I could also see him as a safety, cornerback or even a box defender if he really grows here and gets big enough to play that sort of position on defense. I really like him as an athlete." Chatman didn't crack the Rivals300 but still earned a fourth star. Just like Zayas, the 6-2, 190-pound athlete did a little bit of everything at North Star High the past few seasons. He focused primarily on cornerback during his freshman and sophomore campaigns. By his junior season, North Star head coach James Thompson was looking to get the ball in his hands as much as pos- sible. That led to Chatman playing a lot at quarterback the past two years. Chatman suffered a groin injury prior to last year's opener, and Thompson had no choice but to limit the defensive snap count for his star player. By that point, Chatman had long been com- mitted to Iowa State, so the lack of de- fensive playing time wasn't an issue as far as Hoodjer was concerned. That's especially true when you factor in Chat- man's impressive speed — 10.8 seconds in the 100-meter race and 21.6 seconds in the 200. "He was a really good track athlete with great length," Hoodjer said. "Tyrell is a guy who, year over year, just got bet- ter and better. He played quarterback for his high school team, played defense, obviously, and also fought through some injuries as a senior as well. "The track times really got it started for us. Then, once you meet him and see him, he's a really good-looking kid who has great length. He's big, he's physical, but he's also a really high-end human with great parents. He was a great fit [at Iowa State], and we're certainly ex- cited that coming here was something he wanted to do." Looking Ahead Following what can only be described as a mass exodus of former Penn State commits, the fact that the Nittany Li- ons were able to finish with 15 players in the 2026 class should be looked on as a success. However, that doesn't mean there aren't a few positions that appear more important than others moving forward. For example, wide receiver, tight end, defensive tackle and linebacker could all use an influx of young talent in the 2027 class to help balance out the numbers. There are also questions regarding the sheer talent at key positions. Penn State's staff was pleased to sign two young quarterbacks in three-star pros- pects Kase Evans and Peyton Falzone, both of whom are already on campus. Evans put up big numbers at Lexington (Texas) High — 11,640 yards passing and 120 touchdowns over four seasons — but it's a small school. Adjusting to life in the Big Ten won't be easy. As for Falzone, it's no secret that Penn State's previous coaching staff liked him more as a tight end initially. The 6-5, 210-pound prospect from Nazareth (Pa.) High eventually received an offer and committed to Penn State in April to play quarterback, then switched to Auburn in June, only to return to the Nittany Lions at the very end. But Falzone also has to refine his throwing motion. He worked on it throughout the offseason leading up to his senior year, only to suffer a broken clavicle in his nonthrowing shoulder in September. The injury forced him to miss the rest of his senior season. "We're taking it day by day," quarter- backs coach Jake Waters said. "He's a Four-star Nebraska cornerback Tyrell Chatman had been committed to Iowa State since April but switched to PSU after Matt Campbell took charge of the Nittany Lions' program. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS