Tag: class of 2023

Former Penn State Class of 2023 QB target commits to Division 2 school

Where did this former Penn State and Florida four-star QB end up signing in the Class of 2023?

As the traditional signing period approached, it was worth monitoring where two recruits who had previously recommitted from Penn State ended up. One player who previously committed to Penn State, quarterback [autotag]Marcus Stokes[/autotag], did wind up staying relatively closer to his home in Florida, although his landing spot was a bit more off the radar than originally planned.

Stokes committed to West Florida on national signing day on Wednesday. His journey from committing to Penn State to the Division 2 program has been quite a wild one, to say the least.

Stokes originally committed to Penn State in 2022 but wen ton to flip his commitment to Florida. But Florida pulled his scholarship offer after a viral video in which Stokes used a racial slur made the rounds. Since then, the options for Stokes became far lower in profile with a couple of FCS programs, including Albany State, surfacing as the best potential spots. But even Albany State, an HBCU, rescinded its scholarship offer at the order of the university president.

Enter West Florida, a quickly growing Division 2 program that won a national championship in just its fourth year of existence in 2019. Stokes should easily be able to use his time at West Florida to show what he can do, and as time passes he could make himself an interesting transfer portal option in the future. After all, a four-star recruit starting out at a Division 2 school does not happen every year.

Stokes obviously has an image problem that could not be cleaned up in time during this recruiting cycle, and it remains to be seen if that viral video has tarnished his college career for good or not. But here’s hoping playing at West Florida allows his Stokes to find a way to redeem himself moving forward, including off the field.

[listicle id=11403]

[lawrence-related id=29341,29270,29307,29268,29293]

Follow Kevin McGuire on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion. Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

[mm-video type=video id=01gr7cgspnx7wbz2s3yh playlist_id=01ey902ehrs6e9bvhw player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gr7cgspnx7wbz2s3yh/01gr7cgspnx7wbz2s3yh-64a334f20b663d2ab783dfca92a307ae.jpg]

Penn State’s 2023 football commitment tracker

The Penn State football Class of 2023 commitment tracker has been updated with the latest recruiting development

The Class of 2022 was great for Penn State, but it’s already time to turn the page toward the Class of 2023. And James Franklin and the Nittany Lions already had a few commitments on the board for the Class of 2023 as the signed letters of intent were coming in for the Class of 2022.

We’ll be keeping track of every commitment that goes on the board for Penn State in the Class of 2023. But knowing that odds are pretty good at least one player will have a change of heart somewhere along the recruiting process, we’ll keep tabs on what they are doing up until signing day.

This tracker will be updated accordingly when needed. It was last updated on February 1, 2023.

National signing day: Penn State adds Chimdy Onoh to Class of 2023

Four-star offensive tackle Chimdy Onoh commits to Penn State on National Signing Day.

Penn State was hoping to land one more commitment in its Class of 2023 on National Signing Day, and it got it. Maryland offensive tackle [autotag]Chimdy Onoh[/autotag], who had reportedly been trending in Penn State’s favor, announced his commitment to the Nittany Lions on Wednesday as the traditional signing period opened for the Class of 2023.

Onoh ultimately committed to Penn State over offers from Michigan State, Ole Miss, and Rutgers (the other three schools in his final top four). Michigan State reportedly was the top threat to Penn State in the final stages of the recruiting process.

Onoh is rated as a four-star recruit by both 247Sports and On3, and both recruiting outlets have Onoh as a top-16 offensive tackle. The 6-5, 270-pound lineman should help provide some good quality depth on the offensive line, which was a focus of this recruiting cycle.

Onoh had originally committed to Old Dominion earlier in his recruiting process, but he backed off that commitment once receiving some attention from Power 5 programs. Rutgers was the first to show interest and Rutgers emerged as a leader until more offers came in. Penn State extended an offer in mi-December 2022 just before the early signing period, and Onoh included Penn State on his visit schedule in January before visits to Michigan State and Ole Miss leading up to the traditional signing period.

Onoh will join a recruiting class that attacked the offensive line with some big additions. Penn State secured commitments from J’ven Williams from Pennsylvania, one of the top offensive lineman recruits in the nation, and Alex Birchmeier out of Virginia, the first commitment in Penn State’s Class of 2023.

[listicle id=29309]

[listicle id=11403]

[lawrence-related id=29270,29307,29268,29293,29271]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01ey902ehrs6e9bvhw player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=]

Follow Kevin McGuire on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion. Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Recruit snapshot: A look at Penn State four-star commit OT Chimdy Onoh

A snapshot profile look at four-star offensive tackle Chimdy Onoh.

Penn State made a concentrated effort to bring in some high-quality pieces for the offensive line in the Class of 2023. That led to the signings of J’ven Williams, the top player in Pennsylvania, and Alex Birchmerier, the first recruit who committed to Penn State’s Class of 2023. But the Nittany Lions wanted more and Maryland target [autotag]Chimdy Onoh[/autotag] would be a nice way to wrap up the Class of 2023 on national signing day.

Onoh is a four-star offensive tackle with good size that has been trending in Penn State’s direction over the course of January leading up to the traditional signing period. With offers and official visits to Michigan State and Ole Miss, in addition to Rutgers, Onoh has some good options worth considering for his college future.

Here is a quick rundown of Onoh’s recruiting profile as he gets set to announce his college decision on national signing day.

UPDATE: Onoh committed to Penn State.

Crystal ball predicts signing day addition for Penn State’s Class of 2023

A pair of crystal ball predictions filed late Monday night predict a nice signing day addition for Penn State.

On the eve of the traditional signing day in college football, Penn State is being predicted to add a four-star offensive lineman it has been targeting. [autotag]Chimdy Onoh[/autotag], from  Maryland, is expected to announce his college decision on Wednesday as the traditional signing period opens on the recruiting calendar. According to a couple of recruiting experts, that announcement will likely be good news for Penn State.

Two crystal ball predictions were put on the record on 247Sports late on Monday night, both in favor of Penn State. Brian Dohn, a national recruiting analyst for 247Sports, and Steve Wiltfong, Director of Football Recruiting for 247Sports, each cast their crystal ball prediction of Onoh to Penn State at the same time. Both placed their crystal ball prediction with a medium confidence score.

Penn State emerged as the favorite for Onoh’s commitment not long after extended an official scholarship offer in December 2022. Onoh received his Penn State offer a few days before the start of the early signing period and he visited the campus on an official visit in mid-January. Onoh followed up his official visit to Penn State with an official visit to Michigan State and then Ole Miss.

Penn State is the current favorite for Onoh’s commitment according to the latest update to the On3 prediction machine. According to the On3 metric, Penn State has jumped up to a 91.3% chance of receiving Onoh’s commitment, which is 70 points higher than the early January update to Onoh’s profile.

Onoh is a 6-5, 270-pound offensive tackle who is rated as a four-star prospect by both 247Sports and On 3 (Rivals rates him as a three-star recruit). Both recruiting services rate Onoh as the fourth-best player overall from the state of Maryland, and 247Sports ranks Onoh as the 149th player overall in the nation in the Class of 2023.

The addition of Onoh would be a terrific finishing piece in Penn State’s Class of 2023 that has already provided quality to the offensive line with J’ven Williams and Alex Birchmeier being the key pieces of the recruiting class. Adding another four-star caliber player to the offensive line haul would certainly help provide some terrific depth on the line in the years to come.

[listicle id=29309]

[listicle id=11403]

[lawrence-related id=28554,29141,29116,28861,28415]

Follow Kevin McGuire on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion. Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

[mm-video type=video id=01gqj2pn5m0s5vq7kmv6 playlist_id=01ey902ehrs6e9bvhw player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gqj2pn5m0s5vq7kmv6/01gqj2pn5m0s5vq7kmv6-b3370b591c978ce98bf4d1d1ffe2b97b.jpg]

Penn State football recruiting profile: CB Zion Tracy

A quick profile rundown for Penn State Class of 2023 CB Zion Tracy.

After losing out on [autotag]Joey Porter Jr.[/autotag] to the NFL Draft, Penn State continues to retool its cornerback room in recruiting. [autotag]Zion Tracy[/autotag] is a four-star cornerback with plenty of athletic ability and size that Penn State looks for in their corners. He will have some time to develop and improve while providing Penn State with some depth.

Here is a snapshot look at one of the final pieces in Penn State’s Class of 2023 recruiting class.

Mason Robinson worth the wait for Penn State Class of 2023

Penn State played the long game in recruiting Mason Robinson and it paid off.

Penn State got an early jump on the recruiting effort for defensive end [autotag]Mason Robinson[/autotag] out of Maryland, and its patience and effort eventually paid off. When Robinson committed to another Big Ten program during his recruiting process, Penn State kept the door open leading up to the early signing period in hopes an official visit would sway Robinson to Happy Valley.

And you know what? It worked.

Robinson flipped from Northwestern to Penn State just days after making an official visit to Penn State, and after a handful of previous unofficial visits. Robinson joins a recruiting class that was heavy on the line of scrimmage on both sides of the football, with a couple of defensive players worth watching as they are developed by Penn State. Robinson could be a fun player to watch grow in Happy Valley.

Here is a quick rundown of his recruiting profile in the Class of 2023.

Penn State Class of 2023 has potential in Joseph Mupoyi

Profile of Penn State Class of 2023 edge rusher Joseph Mupoyi.

If there is one thing Penn State has shown it can do well over the years, it is developing defensive linemen. So when the Nittany Lions added [autotag]Joseph Mupoyi[/autotag] to its Class of 2023 haul along with a few other defensive line pieces, there was good reason to expect big things in the future for the potential edge rusher.

Mupoyi was a late addition to the Class of 2023 during the early signing period as Penn State was locking in a class full of talent and potential, especially on the line of scrimmage on both sides.

Here is the rundown of one of Penn State’s Class of 2023 recruits that will be jumping into the defensive line mix.

Where Penn State 2023 recruits land in final 247Sports rankings

A total of nine players in Penn State’s Class of 2023 are ranked in the final Top247 rankings from 247Sports.

The final batch of recruiting rankings for the Class of 2023 were updated by 247Sports this week with national signing day coming up next week. Penn State already stood in solid position with its recruiting class for the 2023 cycle with a number of high-profile players rated highly by 247Sports throughout the recruiting cycle. Now, we have one final look at just where Penn State’s newest additions fit on the national radar.

In all, nine of Penn State’s players in the Class of 2023 received a spot in the Top247 ranking of the top 247 players in the country, including four in the top half of the ranking and three in the top 100.

Here is where each Penn State player landed in the final Top247 rankings.

Penn State adds QB depth in Class of 2023 with Jaxon Smolik

Penn State needed a QB in the Class of 2023 and got one with Jaxon Smolik out of Iowa

After the Nittany Lions lost two signal callers this offseason in Sean Clifford and Christian Veileux, James Franklin has built a quarterback room full of youth. Penn State will be led by Drew Allar next season, followed by Beau Pribula, and now Class of 2023 signee [autotag]Jaxon Smolik[/autotag].

While quarterback wasn’t necessarily a priority in the Class of 2023 for Penn State, it did find itself in a position to need to add some depth. After a decommitment from another potential quarterback, Penn State was quick to move on Jaxon Smolik out of Iowa, and it did not take long for Smolik to back out of his commitment to Tulane before flipping to the Nittany Lions once those wheels were put into motion.

Smolik had a total of nine offers. He also went to the Elite 11 Finals during his recruiting process.

Smolik also dealt with an injury in high school that he had to work back and recover from. But that didn’t stop him from putting up impressive numbers.

Let’s take a look at a brief overview of Jaxon Smolik.