Tag: Cortez Harris

Penn State’s Class of 2025 is perfectly balanced, as all things should be

Penn State has signed its Class of 2025, and it’s a solid class.

Penn State may be preparing for the Big Ten championship game this week, but Wednesday was a cause to pause and celebrate the future of the program beyond this season. Wednesday marked the beginning of the early signing period in college football, and Penn State officially inked 26 members for its Class of 2026. With a recruiting class split evenly with 13 offensive players and 13 defensive players, James Franklin and his staff have managed to pull in a balanced class that will continue to sustain what the entire staff has been working to build for the next few seasons.

More than half of this recruiting class is scheduled to enroll early in January. Penn State announced 14 members of its Class of 2025 will be early enrollees, which will allow them to go through offseason workouts and conditioning and participate in spring football practices.

This recruiting class will be one of Franklin’s best overall classes at Penn State as well. A total of 23 of the 26 commits were ranked as a four-star or five-star player by On3, 247Sports, Rivals, or ESPN. The class also spread the Penn State footprint into 10 different states, including 19 from Pennsylvania or a neighboring state.

Among the top-rated recruits in the Class of 2025 are interior offensive lineman [autotag]Malachi Goodman[/autotag] from New Jersey, cornerback [autotag]Daryus Dixson[/autotag] from California, and linebacker [autotag]LaVar Arrington Jr.[/autotag] (yes, THAT LaVar Arrington).

Here is a full list of Penn State’s Class of 2025 that has been signed during the early signing period:

  • DL [autotag]Randy Adirika[/autotag] (Miami, Fla.)
  • OL [autotag]Owen Aliciene[/autotag] (Cheshire, Conn.)
  • LB [autotag]LaVar Arrington Jr.[/autotag] (Annapolis, Md.)
  • DL [autotag]Dayshaun Burnett[/autotag] (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
  • DL [autotag]Chaz Coleman[/autotag] (Warren, Ohio)
  • RB [autotag]Jabree Coleman[/autotag] (Darby Township, Pa.)
  • WR [autotag]Jeff Exinor Jr.[/autotag] (Baltimore, Md.)
  • OL [autotag]Malachi Goodman[/autotag] (Bloomfield, N.J.)
  • DL [autotag]Cortez Harris[/autotag] (Largo, Md.)
  • RB [autotag]Tikey Hayes[/autotag] (Aliquippa, Pa.)
  • TE [autotag]Matt Henderson[/autotag] (Powhatan, Va.)
  • WR [autotag]Koby Howard[/autotag] (Pensacola, Fla.)
  • DB [autotag]Joshua Johnson[/autotag] (Ironton, Ohio)
  • DB [autotag]Jahmir Joseph[/autotag] (Nyack, N.Y.)
  • DL [autotag]Yvan Kemajou[/autotag] (Burtonsville, Md.)
  • TE [autotag]Brian Kortovich[/autotag] (Willoughby, Ohio)
  • QB [autotag]Bekkem Kritza[/autotag] (Chandler, Ariz.)
  • OL [autotag]Brady O’Hara[/autotag] (Mars, Pa.)
  • WR [autotag]Matt Outten[/autotag] (Portsmouth, Va.)
  • WR [autotag]Lyrick Samuel[/autotag] (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
  • LB [autotag]Cam Smith[/autotag] (Salem, N.J.)
  • LB [autotag]Alex Tatsch[/autotag] (Latrobe, Pa.)
  • DB [autotag]Braz Thomas[/autotag] (Glassboro, N.J.)
  • DB [autotag]Xxavier Thomas[/autotag] (Canonsburg, Pa.)
  • OL [autotag]Michael Troutman III[/autotag] (Trenton, N.J.)

The focus will now shift to the transfer portal as Penn State’s offseason roster changes could be continuing in the coming weeks amidst its Big Ten and College Football Playoff push.

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Four-star edge rusher Cortez Harris commits to Penn State

Penn State concludes wild recruiting weekend with commitment from edge rusher Cortez Harris.

It has been a rollercoaster for [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and the Penn State football program on the recruiting trail this week.

There was a ton of momentum going in their direction as they landed some standout defensive backs who were at the top of their list. But after thinking they had a hard commitment from running back Alvin Henderson, he flipped to Auburn.

That was later followed by linebacker DJ McClary decommitting and joining Rutgers’ recruiting class.

Fortunately for the Nittany Lions, they had a backup plan in place for Henderson as they earned a commitment from instate four-star running back Jabree Wallace-Coleman while also landing safety Braswell Thomas.

Franklin and his staff continue to stay hot.

Penn State landed another four-star recruit in edge rusher [autotag]Cortez Harris[/autotag] out of Maryland. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound prospect was on campus for an official visit this past weekend.

Ranked as the 26th-best player at his position and No. 288 in the 2025 cycle by On3’s Industry Ranking, he becomes the first defensive lineman commit for the Nittany Lions in this class.

Following Harris’ commitment, Penn State is now up to 17 and is knocking on the door of being a Top 10 class.

From the sound of it, the relationship he established with [autotag]Deion Barnes[/autotag] was a big deciding factor in him picking the Nittany Lions over his other two finalists Maryland and Tennessee.

There was some pressure on Barnes to start landing some recruits on the defensive line since he hadn’t yet in this cycle, but all the intel that has been coming out is that Penn State was close to getting commitments, and Harris is the first domino.

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2025 edge prospect Cortez Harris scheduled to visit Tennessee

2025 edge prospect Cortez Harris will officially visit Tennessee this weekend.

2025 edge prospect Cortez Harris will officially visit Tennessee this weekend, according to 247Sports.

Besides the Vols, Harris will officially visit Maryland on June 13 and Penn State on June 21.

The four-star edge prospect is from Riverdale Baptist School in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

Harris is ranked as the No. 248 prospect in the class of 2025. He also ranks as the No. 20 edge prospect and No. 5 player in Maryland.

The Vols offered a scholarship to Harris on Jan. 18, 2023.

The Vols have 10 commitments in its 2025 recruiting class: Quarterback George MacIntyre, defensive lineman Ethan Utley, tight end Jack Van Dorseiaer, cornerback Dylan Lewis, running back Justin Baker, wide receiver Joakim Dodson, cornerback Tyler Redmond, safety Sidney Walton, wide receiver Radarious Jackson and offensive lineman Antoni Kade Ogumoro.

Maryland 4-star DE Cortez Harris includes Spartans in top 10 list

Michigan State football is one of 10 schools still in the hunt for a big-time edge rusher from Maryland

Michigan State football is one of 10 schools still in the hunt for a big-time edge rusher from Maryland.

Four-star defensive end prospect Cortez Harris of Upper Marlboro, Md. released his top 10 schools list on Wednesday, with Michigan State making the cut. The other nine schools on his list were Penn State, Tennessee, Florida, Texas A&M, Syracuse, Michigan, South Carolina, Maryland and Virginia Tech.

Harris ranks as the No. 14 edge rusher and No. 118 overall prospect in 247Sports’ rankings for the 2025 class. He’s also listed as the No. 3 player from Maryland.

Harris is currently scheduled to take official visits to Maryland and Penn State next month.

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Cortez Harris reacts to Rutgers football offer – will four-star edge from Maryland visit this spring?

Cortez Harris talks about his recent Rutgers football offer.

Cortez Harris was offered by Rutgers football this week, with the Scarlet Knights entering a recruitment that has attracted some of the top teams in college football.

A 6-foot-3, 210-pound athlete, Harris is a defensive end from Riverdale Baptist (Upper Marlboro, Maryland). He is a consensus four-star recruit.

ESPN ranks him as the No. 197 player in the nation. Harris has been offered by a number of Power Five programs including Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Penn State and Temple with Rutgers now coming into the picture this week.

The offer this week from head coach Greg Schiano, Harris said, helped establish Rutgers in his recruitment.

“We have a good conversation, me and coach Schiano along with coach Camp (defensive ends coach Julian Campenni),” Harris told RutgersWire.

“All talked about my interest, what I look for in a school what I want and what they want align perfectly so it was great vibes.”

While he is still continuing his relationship with Rutgers, Harris has formed a positive impression about Rutgers. So far, Harris said that Rutgers is checking off a lot of initial boxes in his recruitment.

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“(A) Great school academically and for football, the Big Ten – a great conference for football,” Harris said.

“The coaches seem like they care and have long resumes of being in the sport.”

As for a visit this spring, Harris said he will “definitely try to get up there.”

Rutgers football is the latest Power Five offer for Maryland four-star edge Cortez Harris

Cortez Harris has been offered by Rutgers football.

Cortez Harris was offered by Rutgers football this week with the four-star edge rusher from Maryland pulling in another Big Ten offer.

Ranked the No. 197 recruit in the nation by ESPN, Harris is a 6-foot-3 and 210-pound defensive end from Riverdale Baptist (Upper Marlboro, Maryland). He is an explosive presence off the line and has untapped potential to develop at the next level.

He has an offer list that includes Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Penn State and Temple with Rutgers now coming into the picture this week. On3 ranks him as the third-best player in Maryland’s 2025 class.

On Monday night, Harris posted on his social media about his offer from Rutgers:

 

The Rutgers 2025 recruiting class is off to a solid start with three total commitments including two commitments in February. Two weeks ago, Talibi Kaba, a three-star linebacker from New Jersey (who had offers from Boston College, Duke and Georgia Tech) committed to Rutgers.

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Last week, three-star offensive lineman Jayden Elijah. One of the top offensive linemen in the nation, Elijah had offers that included Boston College, Cincinnati, Florida State, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Virginia Tech.