The White Out Game on Saturday was not only a big event on the field, but it’s also one of the most important recruiting weekends on the year for [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and their staff.
They’ve used that game as a big selling point to players across the country they are recruiting.
The gameday atmosphere, the nationally televised game, and the overall spectacle is a huge factor when swaying prospects to the Penn State program.
The Nittany Lions were able to land a four-star 2025 linebacker after the game and now have added another player in that class with a commitment from a three-star instate running back.
[autotag]Tiqwai Hayes[/autotag] announced his commitment to Penn State on social media Monday. He livestreamed the event on his personal Instagram account and posted his announcement.
Hayes is a 5’10” 190 pound running back from Aliquippa, PA. He’s accumulated over 3,700 yards and 56 touchdowns as an underclassmen in high school.
He chose Penn State over Ohio State, Michigan, Pittsburgh, Maryland, Michigan State, West Virginia and Cincinnati.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CxoI51-SBpO/
On3’s Industry Rankings has him ranked as the 10th overall player in the state of Pennsylvania and the number 29 running back.
“I visited everywhere and nothing is like Penn State. I love the crowd, obviously. Their education is also top tier,” Hayes told BlueWhiteIllustrated. “They’re RBU, they’re the Lawn Boyz. They always have successful seasons. I’m excited to be part of that.”
As a freshman, he earned 4A Player of the Year honors for Pennsylvania and has been a top producer for Aliquippa, who was in the state championship last season.
He’s the fourth player committed to Penn State in the class of 2025. He’s the second running back joining [autotag]Kiandrea Barker[/autotag].
Hayes also told Ryan Snyder of BlueWhiteIllustrated that he’ll now be recruiting other players to join the class, saying, “Oh, I’ll be after a lot of guys. They got to come here. How could you not? All the dogs need to come play with us.”
It’s been a good start for Penn State in the 2025 class as they look to potentially add more commitments after the White Out.