Friday was shaping up to be a big day for Penn State, coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and new wide receivers coach [autotag]Marques Hagans[/autotag]. After landing the first wide receiver of the 2024 recruiting class and the first under Hagans earlier this week, there was a big possibility more were on the way.
Those expectations turned into reality when three-star Pennsylvania wide receiver [autotag]Peter Gonzalez[/autotag] officially committed to the Nittany Lions.
Gonzalez is a native of Pittsburgh and plays his high school football at Central Catholic. He is a 6’2″ 200 pound prospect who is a consensus three-star according to the major recruiting sites.
On3’s industry rankings have him listed as the 159th overall receiver in the country and 29th best player in the state of Pennsylvania.
Despite that, Gonzalez was a priority for Franklin and his staff who offered him a scholarship even after his knee injury in January of 2022. Gonzalez joins his high school teammate, [autotag]Anthony Speca[/autotag], in the Nittany Lions’ 2024 recruiting class.
COMMITTED š¦ā¼ļøā¼ļø #WEARE @coachjfranklin @coachmhagans @CalvinLowry @CoachTerryPSU pic.twitter.com/1EG84MlB2i
— Peter Gonzalez (@Petergonzalez70) June 23, 2023
Gonzalez was getting recruited hard by Virginia Tech, who were in his final three schools. However, he felt he had built a connection with Penn State.
When speaking with Ryan Snyder of On3 about his decision, Gonzalez said, “Honestly, through the ups and downs, theyāve been pretty consistent. They were one of the first schools to offer me and Coach Smith has been consistent the whole way.”
Gonzalez also added, “Theyāve been very honest with my family, which we value a lot. After everything Iāve been through and everything Iāve done, I feel like Iāve truly earned my spot there. I feel like I earned the respect of the people there, which makes it feel like home.”
Coach Hagans also played a major role in the decision.
He told Snyder, “At camp, I was able to be coached by him and I feel like his style fits me well. I can tell based on his past work that he knows how to develop receivers and really be a coach. Some guys want players who can do it all already. Heās someone who can develop you into a better player.”
Hagans now has his second Pennsylvania wide receiver commitment in his first recruiting cycle.
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