Tag: 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.

Penn State adds preferred walk-on QB commit

Penn State adds another versatile preferred walk-on in the Class of 2023.

Penn State has added another preferred walk-on to the Class of 2023 with the national signing period creeping up next week. [autotag]Karson Kiesewetter[/autotag], a quarterback from Altoona, joins Penn State as the third preferred walk-on committing to the program over the past week.

“I am officially committed to Penn State,” Kiesewetter announced on his Twitter account on Wednesday. “Thanks to everyone who made this possible. Let’s roll!”

Kiesewetter has played multiple positions for Bishop Guilfoyle High School in Altoona and is coming off a season in which he passed for over 2,000 yards as a senior with 18 touchdowns and rushed for 1,560 yards and 312 touchdowns, according to On3.

Penn State already has the quarterback situation seemingly on lock down for the next couple of years with Drew Allar in the fold and preparing to take on the starting job this season. How Penn State ends up using Kiesewetter remains to be seen, but his athleticism and versatility should give the staff some options to play and experiment with once Kiesewetter gets on campus.

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Penn State adds another preferred walk-on to Class of 2023

Penn State picks up another preferred walk-on player for the Class of 2023.

Penn State continues to add pieces to its Class of 2023 with another preferred walk-on commitment on the books on Wednesday, Wide receiver [autotag]Ethan Black[/autotag], from Davidsville, PA, announced he has committed to Penn State.

“I am blessed to announce that I have committed to Penn State University where I will be furthering my academic and athletic career,” Black said in a message posted on his Twitter account on Wednesday evening. “I would like to thank my family, friends, coaches, and teammates for supporting me.”

Black measures 5-10 and 160 pounds. Black reportedly committed to Penn State over a pair of Ivy League options in Princeton and Dartmouth.

It is expected that Black will be used on special teams upon his arrival on campus, which is typical for a preferred walk-on player.

Black joins running back David Kency Jr. as Penn State’s second preferred walk-on player in the Class of 2023. Penn State is still hoping to add to the recruiting class with a signing day announcement looming for four-star offensive line target [autotag]Chimdy Onoh[/autotag] out of Maryland.

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PSU Recruiting: Nittany Lions add another running back to their talented room

Here are some names to watch for Penn State football recruiting.

As we get further into the offseason, Penn State has already recruited some notable names to its roster. One position group throughout the 2021 season struggled immensely. In the 2022 season, it was quite the opposite. On top of that, the Nittany Lions aren’t done building up that room either. James Franklin brought in the talented London Montgomery for his 2023 recruiting class.

That’s right, we’re talking about the running back room. Penn State had a talented duo of freshmen this past season with [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] and [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] breathing new life into the Penn State running game, and their running back room is only getting stronger.

Penn State has a strong 2023 recruiting class. And they have already started to get some highly recruited names for 2024.
Penn State is losing some key talent on both sides of the ball. However, they had plenty of talented freshmen play this season, especially in key areas.

Let’s take a look at some other key recruits to keep on your radar for Penn State football.

Penn State recruiting target set for signing day announcement

Penn State hoping for commitment announcement in their favor on signing day.

Penn State already has the bulk of its Class of 2023 signed, sealed, and delivered, but the traditional signing day coming up is a chance to put some nice finishing touches in place. One final key recruiting target is reportedly set to announce his college decision on national signing day.

That target would be [autotag]Chimdy Onoh[/autotag], a four-star offensive tackle from Maryland who has been trending in Penn State’s favor in the final stages of his recruiting process. Lions247 reported Onoh is expected to sign his national letter of intent and confirm his college decision on Wednesday, February 1.

Onoh recently made an official visit to Penn State and followed it up with a trip to Michigan State. He also has an official visit set for Ole Miss this weekend, just days before signing day. Rutgers is also in the mix coming down the final stretch.

All four schools — Penn State, Michigan State, Rutgers, and Ole Miss — were previously listed as Onoh’s top four schools.

Onoh would be a massive addition to Penn State’s already impressive Class of 2023 haul, in more ways than one. Onoh measures 6-6 and 270 lb according to his recruiting profile on 247Sports. The four-star recruit is the no. 8 players in the state of Maryland, which has been a well-established pipeline state for the Nittany Lions both historically and in more recent years by Franklin and his staff.

There are no crystal ball predictions on file on the 247Sports database, but the On3 recruiting prediction machine has calculated a slight advantage for Penn State with a 21.0% chance of securing the commitment. Michigan State could be a significant threat to Penn State’s chances, but this will certainly be something to watch as Onoh makes his official visit. Having a chance to show off a freshly polished Rose Bowl trophy is certainly a nice recruiting tool for Franklin. We’ll see how that pays off.

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Penn State gets commitment for preferred walk-on from Louisiana speedster

Penn State picked up a new commitment for its Class of 2023 out of Louisiana.

Penn State is using the final days before the traditional signing period to put the finishing touches on its Class of 2023. With few spots remaining for a scholarship, Penn State looks forward to adding a preferred walk-on from Louisiana with a bit of speed.

On Monday, Louisiana running back [autotag]David Kency Jr.[/autotag] announced his commitment to Penn State with a message on Twitter. Kency’s commitment to the Nittany Lions comes following a weekend visit to the campus.

Kency measures 5′-9″ and 180 lb and rushed for 1,213 yards and 16 touchdowns for Archbishop Shaw High School on Marrero, La last season. Kency is rated as a two-star recruit according to his profile on Rivals. Penn State clearly sees him as a potential option, most likely on special teams to start to utilize his speed and burst. And, perhaps down the line, he could find a spot on offense to contribute.

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Alabama five-star signee Caleb Downs wins Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year Award

Alabama signee Caleb Downs takes home another fantastic honor.

Former Mill Creek standout and future Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Caleb Downs has been named the 2022-23 Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Georgia.

The five-star prospects helped lead his Mill Creek Hawks to a Georiga Class 7A state championship during his senior season.

The award recognizes both athletic accomplishments, as well as high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character, demonstrated on and off the field.

During his senior campaign, Downs recorded 76 tackles and made five interceptions, returning two of them for touchdowns. Downs was also a standout on the offensive side of the ball as well where he tallied over 800 all-purpose yards and 23 touchdowns.

Downs is the first player from Mill Creek High School to win the prestigious award.

The five-star safety will be enrolling at Alabama later this month and will participate in spring practice with the Crimson Tide.

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Incoming Penn State LB Tony Rojas named Virginia’s Gatorade player of the year

Penn State Class of 2023 LB Tony Rojas named Gatorade player of the year in Virginia

Penn State freshman running back Nick Singleton came to the program as the national Gatorade high school player of the year. While one of Penn State’s incoming stars in the Class of 2023 may not achieve quite that high an accolade, [autotag]Tony Rojas[/autotag] is coming with some national recognition from Gatorade.

Rojas was named the Gatorade player of the year in football for the state of Virginia. Playing both running back and linebacker, Rojas had an impact on both sides of the football for Fairfax this past season. Rojas rushed for 2,240 yards and 38 touchdowns on offense and recorded 72.5 tackles on defense.

As the Gatorade player of the year in Virginia, Rojas is now eligible to be named the Gatorade national high school player of the year. Could Penn State potentially go back-to-back in signing the Gatorade national player of the year? After pulling off the feat for the first time a year ago, that would be quite the accomplishment on the recruiting trail.

Rojas will play on defense for Penn State, as he was recruited to play linebacker with the running back position pretty well situated with Singleton and Kaytron Allen in the backfield after stellar freshman seasons.

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