Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1543434
M A R C H 2 0 2 6 5 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / H I G H S C H O O L R E C R U I T S / / / / / / / the Nittany Lions' class in mid-January. Amid the late surge of interest from FBS programs, Reeder also caught the eye of the major scouting services for the first time. Rivals, ESPN and 247Sports all elevated him to four-star status in the week leading up to the Feb- ruary signing day. After reviewing his senior film, Rivals' scouts moved him up to No. 205 overall, No. 24 among defen- sive ends and No. 4 in New Jersey. "Elijah Reeder was a great find by Matt Campbell and his staff at Iowa State," said Charles Power, Rivals' di- rector of scouting and rankings. "When you flip on the film of Reeder, it's hard to imagine how a prospect like this flew under the radar in New Jersey. He's got a naturally disruptive pass-rush skill set with his ability to bend around the edge. He makes explosive plays behind the line of scrimmage. The combination of size and play-speed really pop on tape. He ends up as a four-star prospect, making a meteoric rise in the Rivals300 across the last month." As a senior, Reeder finished with 50 tackles, including 19 for loss and 8 sacks. On the heels of that perfor- mance, he is Penn State's top-ranked 2026 recruit, both according to Rivals' scouts and in the Rivals Industry Rank- ing, which combines the evaluations of the three major recruiting services into a cumulative grade. Four-Star Talents Reeder wasn't the only former Iowa State signee to earn a fourth star af- ter flipping to Penn State. Cornerbacks Tyrell Chatman of Lincoln, Neb., and Josiah Zayas of Piscataway, N.J., were both promoted in the final update, giv- ing Penn State a quartet of four-star players in Rivals' rankings. The other member of that foursome is defensive end Jackson Ford, a Pennsylvania native and Malvern Prep star who became the only member of Penn State's recruit- ing class to stick with the team through its transition from James Franklin to Campbell. Just like Reeder, Zayas also earned a spot in the Rivals300, climbing to No. 245 nationally. While he didn't surpass Reeder's overall ranking, his rise was even more dramatic. The Piscataway Township standout went from a mid- range 87 grade and three-star status to a midrange 92 grade, making him a four- star player. He also went from being the 106th-ranked cornerback to the sixth- ranked athlete nationally, and he made a big jump in the state rankings, climbing from 14th overall in New Jersey to sixth. Listed at 6-2, 190 pounds, Zayas was categorized as an athlete by Rivals be- cause he excelled at both wide receiver and cornerback. Combining his junior and senior seasons, Zayas finished with 93 receptions for 1,784 yards and 26 touchdowns. He also had 9 intercep- tions and has proven to be a very physi- cal player, which is why Penn State likes him best as a defensive prospect. "That's where we've evaluated him as having the highest ceiling, but he's also a great wide receiver," Penn State general manager Derek Hoodjer said on National Signing Day. "He could play nickel and could probably play safety. He did a little bit of everything in high school." Zayas has proven himself as an ath- lete, running a 4.6-second 40-yard dash and 4.3-second shuttle, and post- ing a 9-foot, 6-inch broad jump, which measures explosion. "He's a very productive two-way player," Power said. "I like his ability Four-star athlete Josiah Zayas shined on both sides of the ball at Piscataway (N.J.) High. He could play wide receiver at the college level, but Penn State likes him best as a defensive back. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS Rivals Industry 2026 Team Recruiting Rankings As of Feb. 23 Rk. School Commits 1. USC 35 2. Notre Dame 30 3. Ohio State 28 4. Oregon 23 5. Georgia 32 6. Alabama 26 7. Texas A&M 27 8. Miami 31 9. Tennessee 30 10. Texas 24 62. Penn State 15