Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545675
1 0 2 A U G U S T 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 to State College. The Rivals three-star prospect had received offers from Flor- ida, Ohio State and Tennessee this past winter, but he was focused on Wiscon- sin and Virginia Tech in recent months. Cooper was planning to check out the Badgers and Hokies in person in mid- June, but those trips were canceled after he committed to PSU. As a junior at Providence Day School, Cooper made 97 tackles, including 5 for loss, and added 6 pass breakups, 2 forced fumbles and an interception. He also returned a kickoff for a touchdown. BWI film analyst Thomas Frank Carr described him as "reminiscent of cur- rent Penn State safety Marcus Neal Jr. and maybe a hair faster." Listed by Rivals as the nation's No. 128 safety and No. 41 prospect in North Carolina, Cooper had been on the staff's radar when they were still at Iowa State. First-year PSU assistant coach Deon Broomfield was with the Cyclones when he extended a scholarship offer, and he continued to pursue Cooper after tak- ing charge of the Lions' safeties. That relationship ultimately led to a com- mitment. Sean Currie TE | 6-7 | 235 | Trenton, N.J. Currie, a Rivals three-star prospect, announced for Penn State on May 22, choosing the Nittany Lions over Geor- gia Tech, Ohio State, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt. He had originally commit- ted to Virginia to play both football and lacrosse, but when Penn State and Texas A&M extended offers in January, it be- came clear the Cavaliers were going to have a difficult time holding onto him. An offer from Ohio State in early March ultimately led him to officially reopen his recruitment. Throughout April, all signs pointed to Currie taking official visits before an- nouncing, but with Penn State having already received a commitment from four-star tight end Cooper Terwilliger, Currie decided he didn't want to wait any longer. "All the stars just aligned when it came to what I was looking for," he said. "Just growing up and watching Penn State, I really wanted to be a part of it. Knowing the legacy they have at tight end and the history there, that's some- thing I couldn't pass up." Playing alongside another top tight end prospect, Alabama commit Colt Lumpris, Currie totaled 34 receptions for 474 yards and 8 touchdowns as a junior at The Lawrenceville School in New Jersey. He's ranked by Rivals as the No. 58 tight end nationally and No. 28 player in New Jersey. Elijah Guertin DE | 6-5 | 250 | Warwick, R.I. Guertin received an offer from Penn State in April following an unofficial visit. At the time, the three-star pros- pect from Bishop Hendricken High had earned a handful of Power Four offers from the likes of Arkansas, Illinois, Michigan State, Rutgers and Wiscon- sin. When the Nittany Lions joined the chase, it changed the course of his re- cruitment. "Getting this offer means so much because it's simply a blessing from God himself," Guertin said. "I would say it's one of my top schools, for sure." A rka n sa s a n d R u tge rs re c r u i te d Guertin primarily as a tight end, but everyone else wanted him as a defensive player. Although he's listed by Rivals as a defensive lineman, he's considered an edge rusher by Penn State and others. April ended up being a key month in Guertin's recruitment. He added seven more Power Four offers, the most no- table being from Florida, North Car- olina and Tennessee. Guertin totaled more than two dozen FBS offers before ending his recruitment with his June 14 commitment to Penn State. Rivals Industry 2027 Team Recruiting Rankings As of June 29 Rk. School Commits 1. Texas A&M 25 2. Notre Dame 21 3. Miami 19 4. Oklahoma 26 5. Texas 20 6. Florida 24 7. Texas Tech 17 8. Oregon 21 9. Ohio State 17 10. USC 14 20. Penn State 22 Three-star safety Caleb Cooper had 97 tackles, 6 pass breakups, 2 forced fumbles and an interception as a junior at Providence Day School in Charlotte, N.C. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS