Tag: Deion barnes

Penn State in Top 5 of four-star Florida defensive lineman

Penn State in the top five for key four-star defensive lineman out of Florida.

Penn State is looking to continue adding to their already strong class of 2024. There are currently 22 players committed to the program and the class is ranked sixth nationally by 247Sports.

There are still uncommitted players that Penn State has high on their boards. [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and his staff are continuing to push hard on prospects who are announcing their commitments in the summer months.

One of these players is Florida defensive lineman [autotag]T.A. Cunningham[/autotag]. He has been a high priority of Penn State and first year defensive line coach [autotag]Deion Barnes[/autotag].

Cunningham is a 6’6″ 285 pound defensive lineman who is rated as a four-star prospect by the four major recruiting services. Penn State has been heavily recruiting him since 2021 when they first offered a scholarship.

On Friday, Cunningham cut his list of schools down to his top five. As expected, the Nittany Lions were included on his list. The other four schools who made it are Miami, Michigan, Oklahoma and Texas A&M.

On3’s industry rankings have Cunningham listed as the 28th best defensive lineman in the class and the 36th overall player in the state of Florida.

When discussing his decision to put Penn State in his top five, he told On3’s Hayes Fawcett, “Penn State is definitely the place to become a great football player but also a better man. Coach Franklin and coach Barnes believe in me in a special type of way.”

Penn State is the only school that Cunningham has taken an official visit to during his recruitment. Whether that’s good enough for the Nittany Lions to land him is to be seen.

On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has Miami as the big favorites to land the four-star with a 74.8% chance. Penn State sits in fourth with a 2.3% chance. However, those odds have not been updated since he cut his list of schools to five.

There are currently three defensive lineman committed to the Penn State in the class of 2024.

Cunningham will announce his decision on July 22nd.

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Mylachi Williams is latest four-star commitment for Penn State

Penn State adds four-star commitment from one of the top in-state recruits for 2024.

After losing out on one of their top defensive lineman prospects to Stanford on Saturday, Penn State was able to land a four-star prospect of their own Saturday night.

The Nittany Lions picked up a commitment from [autotag]Mylachi Williams[/autotag] who plays his high school football in the Philadelphia area.

It was a quick turnaround for [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and his staff who continue to add defensive lineman in the class of 2024 under first year defensive line coach [autotag]Deion Barnes[/autotag]. There are now three commits on the defensive line for Penn State after Williams’ announcement Saturday.

On3’s industry rankings have Williams rated as the 24th best edge rusher in the class and the number seven overall prospect in the state of Pennsylvania.

It’s a big get for Penn State, considering he is a highly rated instate prospect. The Nittany Lions now have four of the top seven Pennsylvania prospects in the class of 2024 committed to them, including the top three overall players.

Williams is a 6’3 210 pound edge rusher who has wreaked havoc in the backfield with both sacks and tackles for loss.

Penn State was always high on the list of Williams.

After his first visit in January, he said, “An offer from Penn State means everything. I always watched them growing up and especially with Penn State being close to home is great.”

Penn State currently has 22 commitments in the class of 2024. They are ranked as the seventh overall class by 247Sports. They trail only Ohio State and Michigan in the Big Ten.

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Crystal ball forecasting Penn State landing a 4-star defensive lineman

Penn State trending toward a possible commitment from four-star edge rusher

Penn State has been trending in the right direction for multiple prospects on the defensive line. As it currently stands, there is only one defensive lineman currently committed to Penn State in the class of 2024.

[autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and first year defensive line coach [autotag]Deion Barnes[/autotag] are looking to change that as they’ve ramped up their focus on top targets.

One of these targets is four-star [autotag]Benedict Umeh[/autotag] out of Toronto, Canada. Umeh plays his high school football in Connecticut and is considered the best prospect in the state.

On3’s industry rankings have him rated as a consensus four-star prospect, the 10th best defensive lineman and 62nd best player in the entire class of 2024. On3 themselves are much higher on Umeh, rating him as the 29th best player in the country.

Now, 247Sports’ Crystal Ball seems to think that Penn State will land the coveted 6’5″ 240 pound defensive lineman coming out of his official visit on June 16th.

Umeh has also taken official visits to Wisconsin and Duke, with an official visit scheduled to Stanford on June 23rd.

Despite that, 247Sports’ National Recruiting Analyst, Brian Dohn, predicts Penn State will get a commitment from the four-star defensive lineman. This looms large because Dohn is a perfect 48 for 48 on his predictions in the 2024 class.

Umeh would be a monster signing for Penn State. There’s a chance he could turn into a five-star prospect and give the Nittany Lions their highest rated player in the class.

In addition to that, this would be a huge boost for defensive line coach Barnes in his first recruiting cycle. Landing a player of Umeh’s caliber would be a great sign going forward for what type of players Barnes can get into the program.

There has not been a commitment date set by Umeh as of now.

Follow Brad Wakai on Twitter and TikTok

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Penn State prepares for monster official visits this weekend

Penn State is gearing up for another massive weekend of recruiting visits

June has been a busy month for schools across the nation. It’s the first time that members in the class of 2024 are able to take their official visits to football programs they are interested in attending.

It’s been an especially busy time for Penn State as they try to solidify and add to their top 10 recruiting class. The first weekend in June resulted in multiple commitments from players high on their target list. The second weekend was full of players who had already verbally committed with some officially enrolling in school.

This weekend will be different.

Eight players are taking their official visits to State College and none of them are committed to Penn State or any other school.

It’s also a big weekend for new defensive line coach, [autotag]Deion Barnes[/autotag]. Only one defensive lineman has committed out of the 2024 recruiting class so far after [autotag]Xavier Gilliam[/autotag] announced his commitment on June 4th.

That could change in a major way this weekend. Three out of the eight prospects visiting are defensive lineman. Two are four-star prospects and one is a three-star.

On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has Penn State favored to land 6’5″ 240 pound Benedict Umeh and 6’3″ 255 pound DeAndre Cook. Umeh is a four-star prospect and Cook is a three-star.

T.A. Cunningham was a late addition to this official visit weekend. He’s a 6’6″ 275-pound prospect from Georgia who plays his high school football in Miami, Florida. The Miami Hurricanes are the major favorites to land Cunningham according to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine, meaning Penn State will have a lot of work to do this weekend.

Wide receiver is another position that needs some work in the 2024 class. There are currently zero commitments for new receivers coach [autotag]Marques Hagans[/autotag]. However, three-star wide receiver Peter Gonzalez is taking his official visit.

Penn State is ba ig favorite to land Gonzalez according to On3 with an 88.3% chance. Gonzalez is a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native who is 6’2″ and 200 pounds. He has a visit scheduled with Virginia Tech the weekend after he comes to State College.

Overall, six out of the eight players visiting this weekend are four-star players. On3 doesn’t have Penn State very likely to land the majority of the players who are visiting this weekend.

Official visits are a way to turn the tide so this could be the biggest weekend during the month of June in order to bolster the 2024 recruiting class.

Follow Brad Wakai on Twitter and TikTok

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Penn State spring football preview: Defensive Line

Now that a new coach is in place, here’s a quick look at the Penn State defensive line situation this spring

It’s an exciting time for the defensive line unit at Penn State. Coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] recently announced that [autotag]Deion Barnes[/autotag] would be the new defensive line coach for the upcoming season.

Barnes, who played defensive line at Penn State from 2012-2014, is taking over the role after the departure of [autotag]John Scott Jr.[/autotag]

It seems like a natural progression for Barnes who served as a graduate assistant and was involved in the development of multiple players going to the NFL.

While the news of this hire is certainly exciting, the other electrifying thing surrounding the defensive line is they might be the best unit of Penn State football this season.

[autotag]Chop Robinson[/autotag] and [autotag]Adisa Isaac[/autotag] are the headliners of the line, but there are other players that could have a big year as well.

Here are names to watch as spring practices get underway.

Chop Robinson

Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

Measurables: 6’3″ 240 lbs.

Year: Junior

Expected Role: Starting Defensive End

Chop Robinson was an absolute star for Penn State in 2022-23. After transferring in from Maryland, he was a game wrecker for the Nittany Lions. He recorded 26 total tackles, 10 of them for loss, and had 5.5 sacks.

His PFF grade of 90.6 ranked him sixth out of 862 edge rushers last season. Robinson’s pass rush grade had him fourth in the country. It’s crazy to think that he can improve his run defense to become an even better player. Robinson will be a household name if continues to produce like he did last year.

Coziah Izzard

AP Photo/Barry Reeger

Measurables: 6’3″ 292 lbs.

Year: Redshirt Junior

Expected Role: Starting Defensive Tackle

This is the starting position on the defensive line that should be watched. [autotag]Coziah Izzard[/autotag] is the projected starter, but he’ll be battling to secure that title. Last season he was expected to start alongside [autotag]PJ Mustipher[/autotag], but missed the first four games of the season due to the decision of coach Franklin.

After a bursting onto the scene in 2021 with 21 tackles and two sacks, he recorded 10 tackles and two sacks in nine games last season. Izzard has tons of talent and should be able to produce this year whether he’s a starter or not.

NEXT: Other potential starters up front

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4

A look back at Deion Barnes as a Penn State player

Best photos of Penn State defensive line coach Deion Barnes as a player

When Penn State needed to find a new defensive line coach in the spring of 2023, it did not have to look very far to find one. [autotag]Deion Barnes[/autotag], a former defensive lineman for the Nittany Lions who spent three seasons on the football staff as a graduate assistant working with the defensive line, was officially named the team’s new defensive line coach on the eve of the start of spring football practices.

Barnes was a three-year letterman at Penn State who went on to spend a few years in professional football with the New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs, as well as one season in the AAF with the San Antonio Commanders, which led him back to Penn State to begin his coaching career with head coach James Franklin.

Here is a look at some of the best photos from Barnes during his time playing for the Nittany Lions from 2012 through 2014.

Penn State names Deion Barnes defensive line coach

Penn State announces its new defensive line coach

As Penn State gathers for the start of spring football practices, the search for a new defensive line coach has officially come to a close. On Monday, Penn State announced [autotag]Deion Barnes[/autotag] will take on the role on the coaching staff.

“We are excited to have Deion represent his alma mater as our defensive line coach,” head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] said in a released statement. “I have really been impressed watching him grow as a coach and leader these last three seasons. Deion’s passion for Penn State and the defensive line room has been a differentiator. It is clear to me that he wears his pride for this University through his work.”

Barnes, a former Penn State defensive lineman from 2012 through 2014, has spent the past three seasons on the Penn State coaching staff as a graduate assistant. During that time, he has helped to develop [autotag]Arnold Ebiketie[/autotag], [autotag]Jesse Luketa[/autotag], [autotag]Odafe Oweh[/autotag], and [autotag]Shaka Toney[/autotag]. All four were drafted by NFL teams, including Oweh as a first-round draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2021.

“I am thrilled and honored to be the defensive line coach for my alma mater,” Barnes said in a released statement. “I am extremely grateful to Coach Franklin for giving me this opportunity to lead a room of tremendous young men who have worked so hard each and every day. I have a lot of pride and passion for Penn State University, and I am excited to go to work with this coaching staff, this team, my letterman brothers and the best fans in college football.”

Barnes will fill the spot on the coaching staff previously occupied by John Scott Jr., who left the program for an opportunity with the Detroit Lions.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CpwAMZEgtUu/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

Penn State opens spring football practices on Tuesday, March 14. The annual Blue-White spring game is scheduled for Saturday, April 15.

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P.J. Mustipher campaigns for Deion Barnes promotion

PJ Mustipher made it clear who he things should be Penn State’s next defensive line coach

When John Scott Jr. decided to leave Penn State for the NFL it left an opening on the coaching staff. [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] and his defense showed tremendous growth last year and toward the end of the season, the defensive line started to click with it all.

Scott Jr. leaving has folks wondering who could step in and help them not to lose the momentum they have going into 2023, [autotag]P.J. Mustipher[/autotag] has a suggestion.

The former Nittany Lions defensive tackle and team captain spoke Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine and he was vocal in his support of [autotag]Deion Barnes[/autotag] getting the promotion from a defensive analyst.

“I want Coach Franklin to hire him,” Mustipher said. “I think he should because he’s put in a lot of work in our defensive line.”

Barnes returned to campus as a graduate assistant in 2020 following time spent as defensive coordinator at Northeast High School in Philadelphia. He would work closely and alongside Scott Jr. all the way up to his departure for the NFL last month.

[autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] has shown an affinity to be able to trust former players who come back to State College for a coaching career despite their experience. In the case of Barnes, he has never held a major coaching position within the program.

At the same time, Franklin has also shown he will look outside the program to make position coaching hirings as he did in January when he hired Marques Hagans from Virginia.

For the time being, the position remains vacant as spring practices continue on campus for the Nittany Lions.

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Penn State adds another analyst to the football staff

Penn State adds special teams analyst to staff from Auburn

Penn State head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] had an analyst role to fill on his staff after seeing Ken Whisenhunt move on to a similar role with Alabama this week. It appears that the vacancy has been filled. Eric Sachse, a former Boise State kicker who most recently was serving as an analyst with Auburn, was confirmed to be the latest addition to the support staff for the football program.

Sachse will be the second special teams analyst for Penn State to help assist special teams coordinator Stacy Collins, who also has a previous stop at Boise State in his coaching career. Collins and Sachse did not overlap their time with the Boise State program, however. Penn State’s other special teams analyst is Eric Raisbeck.

Sachse spent one season at Boise State after four years at a Division 3 school, Trinity College. At Boise State, Sachse converted 14 of 17 field goal attempts and connected on 61 of his 62 extra point attempts for the Broncos in 2019.

Other analysts on Penn State’s support staff include [autotag]Deion Barnes[/autotag], [autotag]Dan Connor[/autotag], [autotag]Gabe Infante[/autotag], [autotag]Calvin Lowry[/autotag], [autotag]Frank Leonard[/autotag], [autotag]Rick Lyster[/autotag], [autotag]Danny O’Brien[/autotag], [autotag]Danny Rocco[/autotag], and [autotag]Charles Walker[/autotag].

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