Tag: Jaxon Smolik

Penn State spring football: quarterback preview

As Penn State begins spring football practices, there is a fresh look at the quarterback position led by Drew Allar.

After years of consistency in the quarterback position, 2023 ushers in a new era for Penn State as they have a youth movement at the position.

[autotag]Sean Clifford[/autotag] is attempting a career in the NFL after four years as the start for Penn State, meanwhile, former 5-star recruit [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] looks to take the reigns as a sophomore. Backing him up though is the definition of inexperience which further pushes the importance of the role that Allar will play this year.

From Allar to the new faces on campus, let this be your quarterback preview for Spring football in 2023.

Drew Allar

Syndication: The Herald-Times

Measurables: 6’5″/238 lbs.

Year: Sophomore

Expected Role: Starting Quarterback

Drew Allar is the most hyped and anticipated starting quarterback in program history since Christan Hackenberg in 2013. Ten years later we get Allar who steps in for the veteran and consistent Sean Clifford. Allar has even been getting some early Heisman Trophy discussion as well.

Penn State has a mid-tier passing defense scheduled for them in 2023 which should give him some success in 2023. Penn State hasn’t had a true dual-threat quarterback in quite some time so we can also expect the offense to look different this year. They have got the skill players around him for success, all that is left is for Allar to dive into the deep end of the pool and start swimming.

Next Page: Beau Pribula

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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.

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 football locks in Class of 2023

Here is every player Penn State has announced in its Class of 2023.

Penn State’s start to the early signing period on Wednesday ended with the official signing of 22 members of its Class of 2023. The recruiting class is one balanced with offense and defense and will add some terrific quality and depth on the line of scrimmage a year after addressing some skill positions in the Class of 2022. And while the latest recruiting class didn’t necessarily go off without a mild bump in the road on the first day of the early signing period, it is getting head coach James Franklin excited about the program’s future.

Penn State made sure to sign some of the top players from in the state but also did some solid work beyond the state’s borders. This was especially true in Virginia as the Nittany Lions kicked the class off with the first commitment on the board from Virginia offensive lineman [autotag]Alex Birchmeier[/autotag] and continued to add help from the state right up until the final days of the recruiting efforts before the early signing period opened. In all, Penn State added players from nine different states ranging from Alabama to New York.

Here is the full rundown of the confirmed additions to the Penn State program in the Class of 2023.

Penn State flips QB Jaxon Smolik in Class of 2023

Penn State’s latest recruiting addition was a needed one in the Class of 2023.

Penn State has added another piece to its Class of 2023 with a commitment flip of their own. [autotag]Jaxon Smolik[/autotag], a three-star quarterback from Iowa has flipped his commitment from Tulane to Penn State, filling a hole in the recruiting class for the Nittany Lions.

Smolik announced his updated decision with a post on his Twitter account on Friday. Smolik shared his commitment to Penn State a day after issuing a statement thanking Tulane for the opportunity he was previously set to accept.

“After further conversations with my family and looking at all the options, I have decided to decommit from Tulane,” Smolik said on Thursday. “I will forever be grateful to Tulane University, the coaches, staff and fans!”

Penn State has been speculated to be in a good position to flip Smolik with his commitment. After a solid showing at the Elite 11 Finals and attending a Penn State football camp in late July, Penn State appeared to be trending in a good direction to add Smolik to the recruiting haul in the impressive Class of 2023.

The addition of Smolik was needed to have a quarterback in the recruiting class after having a previous quarterback, Marcus Stokes, commit flip his decision.

Smolik is a consensus three-star recruit according to the recruiting rankings offered by 247Sports, On3, and Rivals. He is the No. 9 prospect in the state of Iowa in the 247Sports composite rankings.

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Momentum riding toward Penn State flipping a QB in Class of 2023

Penn State recruiting buzz building for potential flip of QB in the Class of 2023.

Penn State head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] could have a few tricks still up his sleeve as the staff begins to put the final pieces on the Class of 2023. And after a signature summer recruiting event with the Lasch Bash, it appears the Nittany Lions are trending in a positive direction for a quarterback currently committed to another college football program.

Jaxon Smolik, a three-star quarterback currently committed to Tulane, is the name to keep an eye on after the Lasch Bash. The Iowa native received a scholarship offer from Penn State two days after attending the Lasch Bash.

Smolik committed to Tulane on June 23. Since then, Smolik attended the Elite 11 Finals and received an offer from Cal in addition to his offer from Penn State. But a new crystal ball prediction filed to 247Sports this week was cast for Penn State, suggesting a flip could be on the table for the Nittany Lions.

The flip prediction was cast by Lions247 staff writer Tyler Calvarusi, who has hit on 23 of 26 crystal ball predictions in the Class of 2023. That could be a good sign of things to come as Penn State could still benefit from adding another quarterback to the roster in the Class of 2023.

Smolik would help fill a void in Penn State’s otherwise fantastic Class of 2023 lineup.

Penn State lost a commitment from quarterback Marcus Stokes earlier in the Class of 2023, with Stokes choosing to stay closer to home with the Florida Gators.

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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.