Tag: Josiah Brown

Biggest theme of Penn State’s 2024 class: balance

Penn State’s 2024 class offers one of the more balanced recruiting hauls in the country.

With the first and busiest day of the college football early signing period behind us, we can confirm that Penn State signed all 25 of its Class of 2024 commits earlier today. It was a “drama-free” signing day according to [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] who spoke after all the commits had signed. The class is now locked in for next year so let’s break it down.

Penn State returns a boatload of starting-caliber players from last season but will lose several starters to the NFL with more expected to announce in the coming month. Penn State has never been a heavy transfer portal school and relies mainly on keeping its returning players intact while reloading with a strong freshman class.

This years’ class is ranked 14th in the country by 247Sports Composite and 16th by On3. With 12 offensive commits and 13 defensive commits this year’s group is evenly balanced eluding to the fact that Franklin and his staff want to add quality depth around the board and fill in any neccessary holes from departing players.

From a positon standpoint is was more of the same type of balance across the board:

  • 7 skill players: QB [autotag]Ethan Grunkemeyer[/autotag], running backs [autotag]Quintin Martin[/autotag] and [autotag]Corey Smith[/autotag], wide recievers [autotag]Josiah Brown[/autotag], [autotag]Tyseer Denmark[/autotag], and [autotag]Peter Gonzalez[/autotag], tight end [autotag]Luke Reynolds[/autotag]
  • 5 offensive lineman: [autotag]Eagan Boyer[/autotag], [autotag]Caleb Brewer[/autotag], [autotag]Cooper Cousins[/autotag], [autotag]Donovan Harbour[/autotag], [autotag]Garrett Sexton[/autotag]
  • 6 defensive lineman: [autotag]Liam Andrews[/autotag], [autotag]DeAndre Cook[/autotag], [autotag]T.A. Cunningham[/autotag], [autotag]Xavier Gilliam[/autotag], [autotag]Jaylen Harvey[/autotag], and [autotag]Mylachi Williams[/autotag]
  • 5 secondary players: cornerbacks Antoine Belgrave-Shorter, Kenneth Woseley, Jon Mitchell, and safties Dejuan Lane, and Vaboue Toure
  • 2 linebackers: Kari Jackson and Anthony Specca

No one position or side of the ball dominated the 2024 recruiting cycle for Penn State, but thats a good thing because it shows that Penn State has talent everywhere. Three wide recievers were added to arguably the worst room in 2023 and a playmaking running back was added to a room featuring two former 5-star recruits. The trenches were reloaded with talent and many of the offensive line commits should challenge for starting spots in their first year.

In the time of the transfer portal and NIL perhaps a early signing day like the one Penn State had today is not exciting, but it does not matter Franklin’s method of “underpromise, overdeliver” method still produces wins. It has in the past. Penn State’s 2024 class is balanced, solid, and most importantly adds talent across the board which is key for sustained success.

Follow Charlie Strella on Twitter, Threads, and Instagram.

Which Class of 2024 players will enroll early at Penn State?

It looks like a good percentage of Penn State’s Class of 2024 will be on campus in January to get a jump with offseason workouts.

Now that Penn State has officially signed its Class of 2024 on the first day of the early signing period, or at least all of the commitments they had lined up, the page is quickly turning forward. Not to look past the upcoming Peach Bowl against Ole Miss later this month, but winter workouts and spring football will be here before you know it! And it seems a good percentage of Penn State’s Class of 2024 is expected to be on campus and ready to get started working with their new teammates and coaches.

Here are the players in Penn State’s Class of 2024 that are reportedly expected to enroll early in January and get started with the program:

  • DL [autotag]Liam Andrews[/autotag]
  • DB [autotag]Antoine Belgrave-Shorter[/autotag]
  • OL [autotag]Eagan Boyer[/autotag]
  • WR [autotag]Josiah Brown[/autotag]
  • DL [autotag]De’Andre Cook[/autotag]
  • OL [autotag]Cooper Cousins[/autotag]
  • DL [autotag]T.A. Cunningham[/autotag]
  • DL [autotag]Xavier Gilliam[/autotag]
  • QB [autotag]Ethan Grunkemeyer[/autotag]
  • DL [autotag]Jaylen Harvey[/autotag]
  • LB [autotag]Kari Jackson[/autotag]
  • RB [autotag]Quinton Martin[/autotag]
  • DB [autotag]Jon Mitchell[/autotag]
  • TE [autotag]Luke Reynolds[/autotag]
  • OL [autotag]Garrett Sexton[/autotag]
  • DB [autotag]Vaboue Toure[/autotag]

Every other member of Penn State’s Class of 2024 will join the program in the summer.

Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Early Signing Day Tracker: Say hello to Penn State’s Class of 2024

The early signing period for college football is officially open as schools around the country are locking in their entire, if not the vast majority, of their recruiting classes for the Class of 2024. Penn State will be among the schools expecting …

The early signing period for college football is officially open as schools around the country are locking in their entire, if not the vast majority, of their recruiting classes for the Class of 2024. Penn State will be among the schools expecting to receive signed National Letters of Intent from their verbal commitments to make things official. There could always be a player or two who hold off until the traditional signing period in February for one reason or another, but Penn State is hoping for a pretty simple and straightforward opening to the early signing period.

Here is a look at each player who committed to Penn State in the Class of 2024 recruiting calendar and an update on which players have signed in the early signing period.

Penn State Class of 2024 profile: ATH Josiah Brown ranked No. 1 in New York

Penn State Class of 2024 profile: Josiah Brown a top athletic pickup out of New York.

On the lookout for playmakers at wide receiver, Penn State may have added one with [autotag]Josiah Brown[/autotag]. The top-ranked player in New York, Brown has been classified as an athlete by the various recruiting services, but it is expected he could be used as a wide receiver by Penn State. The Nittany Lions needed to score some help at receiver in the Class of 2024, and Brown’s commitment seemed to fall in line with that mission in the summer of 2024.

Here is a snapshot look at one of Penn State’s Class of 2024 athletes to look forward to in the coming years.

Penn State commits for 2024 set to transfer high schools for senior seasons

Two Penn State commits will be playing at new high schools for their senior seasons.

A bit of transfer news popped up on Monday that related to Penn State, but it has nothing about any players coming or going by way of the transfer portal for the Nittany Lions. Instead, the transfer news was linked to a couple of Penn State’s commits for the Class of 2024.

According to a report from Lions247, Penn State commits in the Class of 2024 Athlete [autotag]Josiah Brown[/autotag] and defensive lineman [autotag]Xavier Gilliam[/autotag] will each move to new high schools for their respective senior seasons of high school football. The transfer of Gilliam is the more interesting of the two because of what it could mean for Penn State’s pursuit of a couple of top targets still on the board for the Class of 2024 and looking ahead to the next recruiting cycle in 2025.

As noted by Lions247, Gilliam’s move from Wilde Lake in Columbia, MD to Quince Orchard in Gaithersburg, MD will place Gilliam on the same roster as edge rusher Jaylen Harvey, one of Penn State’s top remaining recruiting targets for 2024. Harvey has long been on Penn State’s radar and the four-star recruiting target has made an official and unofficial visit to Penn State since April. He has also taken an official visit to Florida, USC, Maryland, and Ohio State.

Penn State appears to be in the final running for Harvey’s commitment along with Florida, Maryland, USC, and Tennessee. Penn State was previously considered the favorite by some national recruiting experts, and the Nittany Lions could still be in a good spot to secure Harvey’s commitment when he is ready to announce his decision.

It is unknown when Harvey is thinking of making his decision public, so it will likely be up to Gilliam to keep plugging away with the personal recruiting pitches. If the two have good chemistry together this fall, maybe that could help nudge Harvey to join Penn State’s Class of 2024 lineup.

Harvey is not the only Penn State target on the radar at Gilliam’s new school. Penn State is also focusing its recruiting efforts in 2025 on running back Iverson Howard, another one of Gilliam’s new teammates this fall. Howard is a four-star recruit according to his 247Sports composite ranking information.

Brown will be moving to a school closer to his hometown by moving from Holy Trinity in Hicksville, NY to Malverne in Malverrne, NY.

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Penn State makes top five for four-star wide receiver in 2024

Penn State is in the final mix for a coveted four-star wide receiver in 2024.

The ball has started to get rolling for Penn State in the class of 2024 with wide receivers. They gained three commitments from the position in one week after sitting at zero for the majority of the 2024 recruiting cycle.

The Nittany Lions were able to flip [autotag]Tyseer Denmark[/autotag] from Oregon which started the momentum. Later in the week, they picked up commitments from [autotag]Peter Gonzalez[/autotag] and [autotag]Josiah Brown[/autotag] on the same day.

New wide receivers coach [autotag]Marques Hagans[/autotag] is looking to keep his foot on the pedal during his first recruitment period with Penn State.

On Tuesday, the Nittany Lions got some surprising news when four-star wide receiver Jonathan Paylor included them in his top five schools. It comes as a surprise because Paylor has not taken a single visit to Penn State in an official or unofficial capacity.

The other schools on his list are South Carolina, North Carolina, NC State and Maryland.

Paylor is a consensus four-star prospect in the class of 2024. On3’s industry rankings have him as the 185th best player in the country and the number 29 overall wide receiver.

The 5’9″ 170 pound receiver is a speed type of player who lines up in the slot, backfield and returns kicks for his high school team. Although he plays on the perimeter and backfield, he’s expected to become a full time wide receiver at the collegiate level.

Paylor has visited every single program in his top five except for Penn State. He just finished his official visit to South Carolina during the weekend of June 23rd.

On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has South Carolina as the massive favorites to land him with a 91.6% chance. Penn State is not even listed on the machine which shows how surprising their inclusion was.

It doesn’t seem like it’s realistic to land Paylor, but maybe the coaching staff can work their magic.

Follow Brad Wakai on Twitter and TikTok

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Josh Pate reacts to Penn State’s latest wide receiver push in recruiting

Late Kick host Josh Pate was impressed by Penn State’s recent string of wide receiver commitments for 2024.

Penn State had an incredibly productive week on the recruiting trail by addressing a position of need in the Class of 2024. Penn State started the week off by landing a commitment from four-star Philadelphia wide receiver Tyseer Denmark, who had previously been committed to Oregon and went into the weekend with a pair of commitments from Josiah Brown and Peter Gonzalez to add to the receiver group. It was just what the recruiting class needed as Penn State continues to put together one of the top recruiting classes in the nation.

Penn State’s big week of receiver commitments caught the eye of Josh Pate, host of the popular online show and podcast Late Kick with Josh Pate. Pate dug into some of the big moves on the recruiting trail across the country with some quick thoughts on Georgia‘s latest haul, the momentum being built at programs like Florida State and Texas, and the buzz in Happy Valley with its latest string of commitments.

“It’s a magical thing when all of a sudden it looks like quarterback is going to be played a t a little bit higher level than it’s been played at your respective university, then all of a sudden your wide receivers start saying ‘I want some,’ and you as a coaching staff get to select which ones you take instead of taking whatever you can get,” Pate said of Penn State.

And he has a valid point.

Penn State is expected to move forward with Drew Allar, one of the top quarterback recruits in the Class of 2022, as its starter for the 2023 season. Allar will succeed Sean Clifford, whom he backed up numerous times and replaced in relief on multiple occasions last season, including in the Rose Bowl. James Franklin has yet to officially anoint Allar the starter, but the writing has been on the wall and it is essentially the worst-kept secret heading into next season.

Penn State also hired a new wide receivers coach, Marques Hagans, with the purpose of rejuvenating its recruiting prowess with the receiver position. Penn State was already busy locking up multiple commitments for its Class of 2024 before jumping in with some receiver help, but perhaps it was worth the wait.

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Penn State lands top NY player and third WR Josiah Brown

Penn State is rolling now with the commitment from wide receiver Josiah Brown in 2024.

The concerns about having zero wide receivers in the class of 2024 have quickly evaporated this week. After flipping coveted instate prospect [autotag]Tyseer Denmark[/autotag] from Oregon earlier in the week, two more wide receivers were added before the weekend.

[autotag]Josiah Brown[/autotag] is a coveted wide receiver of his own. He’s rated as a four-star athlete and the number one player in the state of New York. On3’s industry rankings have him as the 251st player nationally and the 11th best athlete in the country.

Brown’s commitment comes a week after taking his official visit to Penn State. The Long Island product ultimately decided on the Nittany Lions over Rutgers, Syracuse, Georgia and Notre Dame.

He is a highly coveted prospect and a big get for Penn State. New wide receivers coach, [autotag]Marques Hagans[/autotag], was the primary recruiter for Brown and is starting to show why [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] brought him over from Virginia.

Brown spoke with Ryan Snyder of On3 after his commitment. He had some high praise for the entire university saying, “Penn State is a wonderful place when it comes down to it. Between the facilities, the coaches, even graduating from Penn State and the degree you get, it holds so much weight. When I went on my visit, the players treated me like family and I just met them. That said a lot.”

He also spoke about what he saw in Hagans that made him want to come to Penn State saying, “He’s a standup guy. When I went up there, he was very passionate about his players. I saw him teaching everyone the same and making sure everybody got the concepts there.”

It’s not doubt that Penn State just landed three big time prospects at the wide receiver position this week. They now have 20 commitments in their 2024 recruiting class with more seemingly on the way.

Follow Brad Wakai on Twitter and TikTok

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Rutgers football recruiting: Four-star Josiah Brown announces his top three

Josiah Brown is set to commit on Friday evening.

One of the top players in the nation, Josiah Brown, is set to announce his college decision on Friday.

Brown, a four-star athlete at Holy Trinity (Hicksville, N.Y.), announced a final three of Georgia, Penn State and Rutgers. He has some close friends on the Rutgers football roster including wide receivers Dylan Braithwaite and Ian Strong.

According to 247Sports, Brown is the top player in New York this recruiting cycle and the No. 203 recruit in the nation. He is also the No. 19 athlete in the nation.

Also a standout running track, Brown is capable of playing defensive back or as a wide receiver at the next level.

He took an official visit to Rutgers the first weekend of June and then was at Penn State this past weekend. The narrowing down of the list to three schools was posted by Brown on his social media on Thursday afternoon.

 

Rutgers is recruiting Brown as a wide receiver. Penn State currently has two wide receivers committed to their program, both of whom are four-star athletes.

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Crystal ball predictions for four-star athlete from New York trending in Penn State’s favor

National recruiting experts predicting another four-star commitment for Penn State in 2024.

Things continue to be heating up on the Penn State football recruiting trail. Following a key recruiting weekend that included a new addition to the Class of 2024 and a key recruiting target backing out of his commitment to another school, Penn State is now generating some momentum in the effort to recruit a four-star athlete from New Jersey.

[autotag]Josiah Brown[/autotag], from Hicksville, New York, recently unveiled his top seven schools as he continues his recruiting process. Penn State was among the schools in his latest cut of top schools, and the Nittany Lions appear to be trending toward a commitment according to a couple of notable recruiting analysts.

247Sports Director of Football Recruiting Steve Wiltfong and 247Sports national recruiting analyst Brian Dohn each cast a crystal ball prediction in favor of Penn State for Josiah Brown. And given the established track record of recruiting predictions by each, that should be music to the ears of head coach James Franklin as Brown closes in on a commitment.

Brown is scheduled to make an official visit to Penn State this week, which could be setting the table for a potential commitment. Rutgers is supposedly the second school in the thick of the final stages of the recruiting decision for Brown, although other schools in his top seven included Georgia, Alabama, Michigan, Notre Dame, and Florida.

The On3 recruiting prediction machine previously had Rutgers owning a 50.7% chance of securing a commitment from Brown, with Penn State having a 19.4% chance of winning the commitment. However, the most recent look at the On3 recruiting prediction machine has Penn State with a 90.6% chance of securing the commitment.

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