Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1546586
5 6 O C T O B E R 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 has multiple games scheduled for Sat- urdays. That Penn State was the first school to secure one of those visit dates was an encouraging sign. Johnson (5-11, 190) also plans to check out Auburn in October. Johnson is listed in the Industry Ranking as the nation's No. 354 overall prospect and No. 50 wide receiver, as well as the No. 12 player in Pennsylva- nia. He's much higher in Rivals' rank- ings, placing No. 240 overall, No. 36 among wideouts and No. 7 in the Key- stone State. Edwards grew up in Philadelphia but now plays at powerhouse St. Frances Academy in Baltimore. His frame (6- 3, 205) is exactly what this staff likes for an outside receiver. The four-star prospect has visited Penn State, Auburn and Rutgers only once each so far, so his recruitment has a long way to go. Edwards has received a three-star grade from Rivals' scouts, but he's a four-star prospect in the Industry Ranking, which lists him as the nation's No. 268 overall prospect and No. 38 wide receiver, as well as the No. 8 player in Maryland. Mekhi Parker from Glassboro, N.J., is also expected to return. A consensus four-star prospect, Parker is ranked No. 97 nationally in the Industry Rank- ing and No. 15 at his position. He at- tended last year's White Out game at Penn State and then returned in March to meet Campbell and his staff for the first time. Penn State is also set to host a number of talented linebackers and cornerbacks when it faces USC under the lights. Linebackers coach Tyson Veidt is off to a strong start with a few of his key targets, and that will result in four-star prospects Skylar Alston and Liam Con- lon returning to campus for the White Out game. Alston (6-2, 210), who attends Car- dinal Gibbons in North Carolina, will be visiting Penn State for the third time since Campbell took over the program. The linebacker has already visited Tennessee and Michigan this fall and has upcoming trips to Auburn, North Carolina, NC State and South Carolina. Where exactly Penn State stacks up among his top schools should be clearer by the end of the season. Alston is ranked No. 177 nationally and No. 16 among linebackers in the Industry Ranking, and he's the No. 7 player in North Carolina. Conlon's efforts to get to Penn State for the White Out make him a player to watch closely. A standout at Tabor Academy in Marion, Mass., Conlon (6-2, 215) will join his teammates on a donor-funded trip to Sacramento, Ca- lif., to face Oak Ridge High, one of the top high school programs on the West Coast, on Oct. 9. Conlon and his family plan to fly to State College on the way back home so they can attend the USC game the following evening. Conlon may well be Veidt's top line- backer target. In the Industry Rank- ing, he's listed No. 168 overall, No. 14 at linebacker and No. 4 in Massachusetts. Terry Smith will also host a few of his top cornerback targets, including Michigan native LaMarcus Army, Vir- ginia native Langston Pridgeon and Pittsburgh native Kia Jones Jr. While Army, who plays at Cass Tech in Detroit, has already said that Michi- gan is the team to beat in his recruit- ment, both Pridgeon and Jones have Penn State among their top schools. Pridgeon, who holds a four-star rat- ing and now plays at DeMatha Catholic in Maryland, is also expected to visit Notre Dame and Ohio State this season. Those two schools, along with the Nit- tany Lions, seem to stand out the most for the nation's No. 95 overall player and No. 8 cornerback. Jones earned an offer from Penn State Pennsylvania offensive lineman Nick Anderson is the son of former Penn State player Bill Anderson. The Kiski Area standout is listed No. 180 nationally in the Rivals Industry Ranking. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER