Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1547107
5 2 N O V E M 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 P enn State played host to roughly 150 prospects for this year's White Out game against USC. The list was easily the deepest and most talented we've seen since Matt Campbell took over the program last De- cember. Beyond those already committed, the Nittany Lions welcomed nearly 50 players in the 2028 and '29 recruiting classes who hold a four-star rat- ing. S i m o n N u a m a h , a R iva l s four-star prospect from Mar- ion, Mass., was among the top- ranked 2028 recruits in atten- dance. A 6-foot-3, 260-pound defensive lineman from Tabor Academy, Nuamah is ranked No. 54 nationally in the Rivals300 and seventh among defensive linemen. This was his second visit to Penn State after attend- ing a spring practice session in April. "The White Out atmosphere was crazy," Nuamah said. "The stu- dents, fans, players and everyone else were all just so bought into the culture. It made the experience very fun and unique. "I got to talk with most of the staff, including Campbell and [defensive line coach Ikaika] Malloe. It was great seeing them all again. We talked about the ex- citement around this game and also how my season has been going at Tabor." Nuamah has made it clear that aca- demics will play a big role in his even- tual decision. He was expected to visit Duke on Oct. 17, followed by trips to Notre Dame (Nov. 7) and UCLA (Nov. 28) later in the season. One of Nuamah's teammates, line- backer Liam Conlon, also ranks among Penn State's top 2028 targets at his po- sition. A consensus four-star prospect at all three major recruiting sites, Con- lon is the 12th-ranked linebacker in the country according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, which combines ratings from Rivals, 247Sports and ESPN. He's cur- rently at No. 169 overall in his class. "The White Out was a really memo- rable experience, and I'm very grateful I had the opportunity to be a part of it," Conlon said. "Coach Campbell gave us a great speech before the game about the three qualities they look for in players at Penn State, and I really liked what he had to say. It was great to experience the atmosphere firsthand and see the passion and support surrounding the program." Conlon, who's listed at 6-2, 215 pounds, has also visited Michigan, Notre Dame, Rutgers and Vir- ginia Tech, among others. Penn State remains on pace to rank among his top five. Maryland wide receiver Co- rey Smith is off to an excellent start during his junior season at Good Counsel, and that has him rising up recruiting boards at a host of major programs. He had 23 catches for 426 yards and 6 touchdowns in four games as of Oct. 4. The White Out game offered Penn State a chance to show him what game day in Happy Valley is all about. "It was a beautiful experi- ence in State College," Smith said. "Everything was very or- ganized and had great structure. The stadium is massive, and the crowd was rocking all the way till the end. Very consistent crowd and great culture. "Another thing that stood out to me is that they really crack down on academics, which I really like. I was able to talk to [Todd Kulka], who is the team's academic counselor, and it was great to hear how they help the players reach academic success and even dropped a few gems on me. It was a tough loss, but they played hard and the culture is amazing. I had a great time at Penn State." Smith is listed at 6-5, 220 pounds. He holds a three-star rating from Rivals and is ranked No. 581 nationally and No. 18 in Maryland in the Rivals Industry Ranking. The Nittany Lions also hosted Phila- delphia native William Howard from Springside Chestnut Hill Academy. The three-star running back is arguably the staff's top 2028 target at the position. Listed at 6-foot, 200 pounds, he's cur- rently the 20th-ranked running back in White Out Makes An Impact On Top Recruits RYA N S N Y D E R | RYA N . S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M FOOTBALL RECRUITING Four-star defensive lineman Simon Nuamah, ranked No. 54 nationally by Rivals in the 2028 class, made his second visit to Penn State for the White Out against USC. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER