Tag: Ejani Shakir

Former Penn State commit still on the recruiting market for Nittany Lions?

Ejani Shakir backed off his commitment to Penn State, but could he still be in play?

Penn State officially announced the addition of 22 new members to its program on the first day of the early signing period, but there are still some players to keep a close eye on as the recruiting process moves to the next stage, which leads up to the traditional signing period at the beginning of February. Of the handful of players who backed off a prior commitment to Penn State, there are two who are still uncommitted to a program at the close of the early signing period. And Penn State could still be the leading candidate for at least one of them.

Wide receiver [autotag]Ejani Shakir[/autotag] will be a key player to watch in the coming months as James Franklin looks to add a little more depth to the wide receiver position. Two of the top positions Franklin stressed he would be focusing on in the next stage of the recruiting cycle and in the transfer portal was offensive line and wide receiver.

“I’d like to see us get another offensive lineman and then wide receiver,” Franklin said recently. “That’s a position where I could see us signing a couple more guys at that position just to make sure that we have the competition at that position on a similar scale that we do at tight end and running back. I think that’s going to be important for us moving forward.”

And this is why Shakir is a player to watch. Shakir, a key recruit out of New Jersey, was previously committed to Penn State but backed off his commitment in November for undisclosed reasons. Sometimes a player will do so because another program has caught their eye or the player simply feels he needs more time to feel truly comfortable with his college decision. It’s a normal part of the decision-making process, and sometimes, perhaps more often than not, a player who decommits from a program eventually lands with another when it comes time to announce a decision. But the early signing period breezed by without a commitment from Shakir, and the recruiting services still feel Penn State is the leader in the recruiting efforts.

The crystal ball page for Shakir on 247Sports has not been updated since before his commitment, which is why Penn State is still showing up with a 100% chance of landing his commitment, so this may not be the most accurate gauge right now. And the On3 recruiting prediction machine is still likely to be heavily influenced by a previous prediction made before Shakir’s commitment. So take those predictions for what they are at the moment; outdated data.

But it would make sense for Penn State to still have Shakir on the map as he is in the region that Penn State likes to call home and he fills a need at the receiver position. Unless there is more to the story, Shakir still ending up at Penn State would not be out of the question it would seem.

Reading the tea leaves through Shakir’s social media account doesn’t shed much light on the situation either though.

As of the holiday weekend, there is no indication when Shakir may ultimately announce his decision, but this is a player to keep an eye on as Penn State looks to fill out the remaining pieces it can add in 2023.

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Where did the players who decommitted from Penn State end up?

Where did the players who decommitted from Penn State end up in the Class of 2023, and who is still out there?

Penn State just welcomed 22 new members to its football program with the signing of its Class of 2023, although there could still be some more room for another recruit or two or new pieces coming through the transfer portal. But there are some players that got away from Penn State during the recruiting process, which is perfectly normal in this game. Every school deals with a handful of players who change their minds after committing to them at some point in the process because high school students are allowed to change their minds for whatever reason they choose when it comes to where they will be going to college. Such was the case for Penn State with a number of players opting to back off a commitment to the Nittany Lions in the Class of 2023.

Fortunately for Penn State, [autotag]Mathias Barnwell[/autotag] was a rare case where he came back to committing to Penn State after decommitting.

“When he committed, wanted to make sure they were comfortable, truly knew what that was,” head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] said when reflecting on the recruiting efforts of Barnwell that ultimately led to Barnwell signing with Penn State in the Class of 2023. “His eyes started to wander in 10th grade, then committed back to us, which doesn’t always happen.”

Penn State could still end up welcoming another player or two that had previously committed to Penn State before backing off of it along the way. Quarterback [autotag]Marcus Stokes[/autotag] and wide receiver [autotag]Ejani Shakir[/autotag] are two players still available in the recruiting pool. Each had committed to Penn State in the past before stepping back. In the case of Stokes, he flipped his commitment to Florida before having his scholarship offer pulled after a controversial video of Stokes went viral. Shakir merely wanted to take more time to weigh his options, it seems. Both players are currently projected by recruiting analysts and metrics to end up at Penn State, but time will tell how that all plays out.

Here are a few others who backed off a commitment to Penn State and where they each ended up in the early signing period.

Four-star receiver announces decommitment from Penn State

Penn State loses commitment from four-star wide receiver a month before early signing period

While Penn State may be racking up wins on the field in November, this weekend saw the Nittany Lions take a loss on the recruiting trail. At least, a temporary loss. Wide receiver [autotag]Ejani Shakir[/autotag] announced his decommitment from Penn State’s Class of 2023 on Sunday and has reopened his recruiting process as we begin to approach the early signing period.

“First, I would like to thank Penn State, Coach Franklin, Coach Stubbs, and staff for taking their time to recruit and host me and my family to an amazing university,” Shakir said in a statement shared on his Twitter account Sunday evening. “I want to thank the Penn State fans for all the love and support throughout my recruitment process. With that being said, I will be decommitting from Penn State University.”

Shakir is a four-star wide receiver from New Jersey who committed to Penn State back in May after making a handful of official and unofficial visits to Penn State’s campus during his recruiting process.

What this news means for Penn State’s recruiting class in 2023 remains to be seen. It may not be entirely out of the question that Shakir returns to his commitment tot he Nittany Lions, but the timing of his announcement does suggest he may be taking a serious look at other options in the final month leading up to the early signing period, assuming he signs with a school of his choosing in the early signing period.

We’ll see where Shakir ends up as he continues his recruiting process moving forward.

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How are the Penn State recruits doing in their senior seasons?

This week, let’s check back in with some key 2023 recruits and how their senior seasons have been thus far.

Penn State is coming off a blowout win against Auburn. Not only that, but the Nittany Lions have had quite a few talented players on their radar for future recruiting classes.

We know all about the current Penn State roster and we took a thorough look at the 2022 recruits over the summer. But, what about the future Nittany Lions?

Last week, we took a look at some key recruits who have Penn State on their radar. There were some that even had them narrowed down into a final 10 to 12 teams. But there were others that were pretty far out in their recruiting process but still definitely worth keeping an eye on.

It’s worth noting that running back [autotag]London Montgomery[/autotag] is sitting out for the season due to a season-ending injury. Montgomery was a big get for Penn State’s recruiting class in 2023.

This week, let’s check back in with some key 2023 recruits and how their senior seasons have been thus far.

Penn State in top 12 for talented four-star receiver from Philly, Tyseer Denmark

Penn State included in top 12 for four-star WR Tyseer Denmark from Philly in Class of 2024

As Penn State begins to put the finishing touches on its Class of 2023, some of the recruiting focus can now begin to shift to the Class of 2024. And keeping one of the state’s top players close to home could be a priority for James Franklin and his staff.

Wide receiver Tyseer Denmark, of Philadelphia, is a four-star recruit according to the 247Sports composite rankings and he is the No. 78 player overall in the nation and the No. 2 player overall in Pennsylvania in the Class of 2024 according to the same ranking system. Naturally, that means Franklin will do whatever he can to keep Denmark from leaving the state, and the competition just went to the next level after Washington revealed his top 12 schools.

Penn State was among the 12 schools included in Denmark’s top schools. The rest of the list is a compilation of some heavy hitters on the recruiting trail with Alabama, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Rutgers, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, and USC also making the cut.

The 5′-11″ wide receiver from Roman Catholic is clearly a hot recruiting prospect with a ton of tremendous options to weigh as he continues on his recruiting process. He would certainly be a big get for Franklin if he ultimately chooses to go to Penn State, and the Nittany Lions could be in the market for a stud receiver in the Class of 2024. [autotag]Parker Washington[/autotag] and [autotag]Mitchell Tinsley[/autotag] could both be playing in the NFL after the upcoming 2022 season and [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] isn’t far away from moving on either. Penn State has obtained some key receivers through recruiting in the Class of 2022 with a couple of four-star players in [autotag]Kaden Saunders[/autotag] and [autotag]Anthony Ivey[/autotag]. Penn State also has a couple of receivers potentially lined up with commitments from Class of 2023 four-star [autotag]Ejani Shakir[/autotag] from New Jersey and three-star in-state recruit [autotag]Yazeed Haynes[/autotag]. But adding one of the top receivers in the country in the Class of 2024 would be a nice boost for the program.

While no crystal ball predictions have been officially cast on 247Sports, the On3 recruiting prediction machine calculates Penn State as an early favorite for Denmark’s commitment. Penn State is given a 37.0% chance of securing Denmark’s commitment according to its computer model, but it is far too early in the process to know how much weight Penn State is carrying in the recruiting process for sure.

What we do know is Denmark has long been Penn State’s radar, as you might expect for a talented wide receiver from Philadelphia. Denver visited Penn State’s campus early in his recruiting process in April 2021, just two months after Penn State was one of the first schools to extend an offer (Pitt was the first, with Penn State the second a couple of weeks later). He also attended Penn State’s football camp in June 2021 and returned for an unofficial visit on campus last September for Penn State’s spotlighted primetime game against Auburn. At this time, the only other visit Denmark has made is an unofficial visit to Texas A&M back in March of this year.

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Penn State makes top 5 for four-star receiver from Ohio

Penn State makes top 5 for rising Ohio wide receiver in Class of 2023.

A player who previously was committed to another Big Ten program has included Penn State among his top schools as he inches closer to a new decision on his future. [autotag]Anthony Brown[/autotag], a four-star wide receiver from Ohio, announce his top five schools on his Twitter account on Thursday afternoon. Penn State is one of two Big Ten schools in the running for his commitment.

Brown included four schools from power conferences in his top five; Penn State, Michigan, Kentucky, and Oklahoma. Cincinnati is the fifth school on his list, the only in-state option which will become an official member of the Big 12 in 2023.

Brown attended Penn State’s junior day event in January and a football camp in June 2021. It was his attendance at that Penn State football camp that ultimately led to an offer being extended to Brown to firmly put the Nittany Lions in the running.

Kentucky is perceived as an early favorite to land the commitment from one of the rising prospects out of Ohio. Kentucky owns the only crystal ball prediction at this time on 247Sports and the On3 prediction machine gives Kentucky an 82.3% chance to receive his commitment. Just based on these two trends, it would seem as though Penn State is in an uphill battle for Brown.

One team noticeably absent from Brown’s top five is Minnesota. Brown had previously been committed to the Golden Gophers. After committing to Minnesota in September 2021, Brown reopened his recruiting in February of this year, a mere two weeks after attending Penn State’s junior day event.

Perhaps Penn State has more of a shot to land Brown’s commitment than the predictions are indicating? Only time will tell for sure.

Penn State’s Class of 2023 currently consists of two wide receivers with [autotag]Ejani Shakir[/autotag] and [autotag]Yazeed Haynes[/autotag]. Penn State’s Class of 2022 added three wide receivers with [autotag]Anthony Ivey[/autotag], [autotag]Tyler Johnson[/autotag], and [autotag]Kaden Saunders[/autotag].

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Where is Penn State ranked in Class of 2023 after latest commitment?

Penn State moved up in the 247Sports national recruiting rankings after a commitment from Ejani Shakir.

Penn State head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] went to bed Wednesday night feeling pretty good about his latest recruiting victory. Four-star wide receiver [autotag]Ejani Shakir[/autotag] gave his commitment to the Nittany Lions on Wednesday night to give Penn State its first wide receiver in the Class of 2023, and that helped move Penn State back up the national recruiting rankings as a result.

According to the updated 247Sports composite rankings, Penn State has moved up to No. 3 in the latest class rankings. The move up a few spots allowed Penn State to pass over Georgia and Ohio State in the process. The Buckeyes had recently moved ahead of Penn State after the Nittany Lions were ranked on top of the Big Ten class rankings to begin the month of May.

Notre Dame currently sits on top of the Class of 2023 rankings with one five-star player and 10 four-star commitments already on the board. Texas Tech continues to hold surprisingly strong at No. 2 with five four-star commitments and 13 three-star players lined up for the Class of 2023. Texas Tech has 20 commitments already to help pad the overall numbers in their favor for now.

Penn State’s current recruiting class includes one five-star player with offensive lineman [autotag]Alex Birchmeier[/autotag] (Penn State’s first commitment for the Class of 2023). Penn State also has the top player in Pennsylvania (OT [autotag]J’ven Williams[/autotag]), a four-star tight end who flipped from Michigan ([autotag]Andrew Rappleyea[/autotag]), and one of the top 10 players from New Jersey in Shakir.

Penn State’s Class of 2022 was one of the best recruiting classes in the nation, and easily one of the best ever signed by Franklin. So far, things continue to look pretty good for Penn State in the Class of 2023 as well.

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Penn State adds four-star receiver Ejani Shakir to Class of 2023

Penn State adds commitment from four-star wid receiver form New Jersey to Class of 2023

Penn State’s Class of 2023 got a little bit better on Wednesday night. [autotag]Ejani Shakir[/autotag], a four-star wide receiver from New Jersey, announced his commitment to the Nittany Lions to give Penn State’s current recruiting class an offensive weapon.

Penn State had been emerging as the favorite to secure Shakir’s commitment with West Virginia believed to be the top competition in the final stages of his recruiting process. The 6′-0″ 175-pound wide receiver is rated as a four-star prospect according to 247Sports, although the 247Sports composite ranking results in a three-star rating.

Shakir is the 12th member of Penn State’s current recruiting class for 2023 and he is the first wide receiver in the class. Penn State added [autotag]Kaden Saunders[/autotag], [autotag]Anthony Ivey[/autotag], [autotag]Omari Evans[/autotag], and [autotag]Tyler Johnson[/autotag] at the position in the Class of 2022. Penn State also welcomed Western Kentucky transfer [autotag]Mitchell Tinsley[/autotag] to the program this spring to help fill the void left by first-round draft pick [autotag]Jahan Dotson[/autotag] in the 2022 NFL draft. [autotag]Parker Washington[/autotag] and [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] are each back for the 2022 season as well.

Shakir has said he felt Penn State would be his decision for. few months, but it was best to fully evaluate his options before coming to any final decision.

“To be honest with you, I felt like I knew I was going to go there since I went up there (a while ago),” Shakir said to Lions247. “A lot of schools didn’t really reach up to their potential. I knew I was going to go there for a couple of months.”

New Jersey is an important recruiting state for Penn State, as it typically is for a number of Big Ten programs. Shakir is the first New Jersey recruit in Penn State’s Class of 2023 at this point. Shakir is the No. 7 recruit overall in the state of New Jersey according to the 247Sports composite rankings (No. 3 just according to 247Sports).

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