Tag: Jven Williams

Penn State offensive lineman announces end of football career

Penn State offensive lineman Bryce Effner says he will not be back for another season.

Penn State offensive lineman Bryce Effner will not be coming back for another season in Happy Valley, nor will he think about pursuing a career at the next level. According to a statement Effner posted on his Instagram account on Sunday, Effner is officially moving on from football entirely after finishing off his run in State College with a Rose Bowl victory.

“These past five years at Penn State have been some of the best years of my life,” Effner said. “I will always cherish the memories and relationships made. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to end such a special chapter of my life in such a memorable way. However, it is time for me to step away from the game I love.”

Effner played five seasons at Penn State as a redshirt senior this past season. He would have been eligible for a sixth year of eligibility granted by the NCAA for all student-athletes iom[acted by the COVID season of 2020, but Effner is seeing this as the right moment to walk away as his own decision.

“Capping off my career with a Rose Bowl victory is something not many are lucky enough to say,” Effner said in his statement.

Penn State’s offensive line may miss his veteran presence but the unit looks to be in pretty good shape moving forward into 2023 and beyond. [autotag]Olu Fashanu[/autotag] announced he is returning for another season despite being a rising NFL draft prospect, and the Nittany Lions just landed some massive recruits for the offensive line in the Class of 2023 with [autotag]J’Ven Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Alex Birchmeier[/autotag].

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247Sports bumps Penn State commit J’ven Williams to five-star

Penn State’s top commit in the Class of 2023 is now a five-star player according to 247Sports

With the start of the early signing period for the Class of 2023 coming up next week, it looks like Penn State will be signing a five-star offensive lineman. [autotag]J’ven Williams[/autotag] picked up a fifth star on his recruiting profile on Tuesday in the updated 247Sports player rankings.

Williams is the top-rated player in Pennsylvania in the Class of 2023, and he committed to Penn State in February. Since then, Williams has made a couple of visits to Penn State and remained a steady force in the recruiting class, which continues to come together leading up to the early signing period. Williams is also a five-star recruit according to On3.

Williams and [autotag]Alex Birchmeier[/autotag], a four-star offensive lineman, are considered the main anchors of the recruiting class for Penn State in the Class of 2023. After addressing some key skill positions in the Class of 2022, Birchmeier and Williams lead the way for the current recruiting cycle on the line of scrimmage and should be helping to pave running lanes for [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] and [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] and protecting [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] in the coming years.

Penn State’s Class of 2023 ranking has also been moved up one spot on the 247Sports composite rankings from No. 13 to No. 12 with Williams being bumped up the player rankings and Penn State adding a pair of defensive linemen in the past 48 hours.

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Penn State set to host West Virginia commit Rodney Gallagher

Penn State will host a four-star receiver committed to West Virginia this weekend.

With the early signing period approaching rapidly, Penn State could be looking to make some good final pushes for some key recruits to fill out its Class of 2023. And one piece that got away from them earlier within the state could be a prime candidate for a potential flip.

Four-star wide receiver [autotag]Rodney Gallagher[/autotag], a Pennsylvania native, is set to pay a visit to Penn State for this weekend’s home game against Michigan State. This is notable because Gallagher is currently committed to West Virginia, and Penn State just had a wide receiver from its Class of 2023 lineup decommit from Penn State.

Gallagher committed to West Virginia in May of this year, roughly a month after making an unofficial visit to Penn State in the spring. Despite being committed to the Mountaineers, Gallagher also paid an official visit to Oklahoma State in June, just a few weeks after committing to West Virginia and a couple of weeks after making an official visit to Morgantown following his commitment.

Gallagher would be a massive flip for Penn State. He is the third-best recruit overall in the state of Pennsylvania according to the 247Sports composite rankings. Penn State already has a commitment from the top in-state recruit, offensive tackle [autotag]J’ven Williams[/autotag], the No. 2 recruit with edge rusher [autotag]Ta’Mere Robinson[/autotag], and the No. 4 recruit in the state, edge rusher [autotag]Jameial Lyons[/autotag] from Philadelphia.

West Virginia also has one other top 10 player from Pennsylvania in its Class of 2023 lineup with linebacker [autotag]Josiah Trotter[/autotag], the son of former NFL linebacker Jeremiah Trotter.

We’ll be sure to keep a close look at any potential recruiting developments coming out of this weekend as Penn State wraps up its regular season at home against Michigan State.

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247Sports bumps Penn State commit to four-star rating

Penn State Class of 2023 commit gets upgraded to four stars by 247Sports

The future outlook for the Penn State offensive line continues to improve as one of its commits in the Class of 2023 has officially been bumped up to four-star status. [autotag]Anthony Donkoh[/autotag] benefitted from a recent update to the player rankings from 247Sports, and it has given Penn State a bit of a boost with its next recruiting class as a result.

Donkoh, from Aldie, Virginia, was given a fourth star on his latest 247Sports recruiting profile on Friday. At the moment, Donkoh is still getting a three-star rating from the 247Sports composite rankings, which averaged the rankings from multiple recruiting outlets, but the fourth star from 247Sports’ own ranking is promising.

With the updated player rankings, Penn State now has 13 four-star players committed to its Class of 2023 as we inch closer and closer to the start of the early signing period in December. Penn State’s recruiting class is still holding firm to second in the Big Ten, behind only Ohio State. Donkoh is the third offensive lineman in the class to have a four-star rating from 247Sports, joining [autotag]Alex Birchmeier[/autotag] and [autotag]J’Ven Williams[/autotag], the top prospect in Pennsylvania.

Donkoh committed to Penn State back in June. Penn State’s Class of 2023 is currently ranked No. 12 in the nation according to 247Sports.

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Who are some Penn State football recruits to keep an eye on?

Here some Penn State football recruits to keep on your radar.

Penn State is at home once again this week to take on Northwestern. This should be another winnable game for them going into their bye week. In fact, not that Northwestern is a tough matchup for them, but this is a very important game that they need to win. Why? Coming off of their bye week Penn State heads to Michigan, then hosts Minnesota then hosts Ohio State.

We have seen this before. Penn State won five straight last year then went on a massive slump after losing to Iowa.

That was last year. We talked a bit about this year. Now, let’s dive deeper into the future of Penn State.

Not only have we seen future Nittany Lions stand out in their senior seasons, but Penn State also has some intriguing players on its radar.

Last year, you could tell they went heavy offensive line in their recruiting search. [autotag]J’ven Williams[/autotag]. [autotag]Alex Birchmeier[/autotag]. What about this year?

Let’s take a look.

Crystal ball picks leaning toward Penn State for in-state running back

Penn State is in a good spot with this in-state three-star running back in the Class of 2023.

It goes without saying that Penn State is in need of improving its ability to run the football in 2022. Adding the nation’s top running back in the Class of 2022 should certainly help with [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] deciding to stay close to home to play for the Nittany Lions. Penn State also added [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] to the running back mix as another four-star option on the ground. So, it would seem, Penn State’s future at the running back position is in good shape.

But that doesn’t mean they can’t keep adding to the running back depth by exploring some in-state recruits in the Class of 2023. Without a running back on the board for the Class of 2023 just yet, the Nittany Lions could be closing in on a three-star running back out of Scranton. [autotag]London Montgomery[/autotag], of Scranton Prep, is considered a likely commitment for Penn State in the current recruiting cycle.

On3’s prediction machine calculates Penn State has an 87.3% chance of securing a commitment from Montgomery. There are three crystal ball predictions currently on the record on 247Sports, and all three are in favor of Penn State.

Montgomery is the No. 7 player in the state of Pennsylvania according to the 247Sports composite rankings, which automatically makes him a key recruit for Penn State. Penn State already has a Clas of 2023 commitment from the top player in the state with offensive tackle [autotag]J’ven Williams[/autotag]. Penn State also has a commitment from edge rusher [autotag]Jameial Lyons[/autotag] (No. 5 in Pennsylvania) and is considered a favorite to land a commitment from edge rusher [autotag]Ta’Mere Robinson[/autotag] (No. 3 in Pennsylvania).

Montgomery was offered a scholarship by Penn State back in March, and he made an unofficial visit to Penn State the following month. He also is coming off a recent official visit this past weekend. Montgomery has made two other trips previously as well, so he is pretty familiar with the environment and program. He has not made multiple visits to any other school at this time.

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Penn State Class of 2023 beefs up with Tomarrion Parker commitment

Penn State just added a massive recruit to its Class of 2023 recruiting haul with Tomarrion Parker.

After making an official visit to Penn State over the weekend, four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Tomarrion Parker[/autotag] had seen enough to make up his mind. On Tuesday, Parker joined Penn State’s Class of 2023 by announcing his commitment to the Nittany Lions.

This is a massive addition to the recruiting class being worked on by head coach James Franklin. In a class that had placed so much emphasis early on on the offensive line, it seems as though the defense is starting to really take form. The addition of Parker is one that helps tip the balance in a big way for the Nittany Lions.

With the commitment of Parker on board, Penn State now has 14 commitments in the Class of 2023. Parker joins [autotag]Jameial Lyons[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyriq Blanding[/autotag] as defensive line additions to the recruiting class. According to the 247Sports composite rankings, Parker is the third highest-ranked recruit on the board for Penn State, trialing only offensive linemen [autotag]Alex Birchmeier[/autotag] and [autotag]J’ven Williams[/autotag]. It may be safe to say the bodies on the line of scrimmage are powering forward for Penn State in the Class of 2023 after picking up some prized skill position players in the Class of 2022.

Parker is a 6′-4″ 255-pound defensive linemen who supposedly chose Penn State over offers from Florida and Michigan State among his final schools. According to 247Sports, Parker is the No. 48 recruit overall in the Class of 2023. Perhaps making this recruiting victory even more impressive is Parker chose Penn State over another key offer from Alabama. Parker is from Alabama, so securing a four-star defensive lineman away from the state when the Crimson Tide had an offer extended is pretty impressive.

Penn State’s Class of 2023 is still looking to add a few more key pieces to the recruiting class, and there is still plenty of room for more help on the defensive side of the football.

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Penn State stung by recruit flipping commitment to Georgia

Penn State just had a key recruit flip a commitment away from the Nittany Lions

Penn State has been putting together a terrific Class of 2023, but on Monday the Nittany Lions saw one coveted offensive lineman commitment flip to the reigning national champions. [autotag]Joshua Miller[/autotag] announced soon Monday afternoon he was flipping his commitment to Georgia, a move that surely was unsettling for Penn State head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag].

“I want to thank Penn State and the fans for taking a chance on me, supporting me, and loving me,” Miller said in a statement posted on his Twitter account. “However, after sitting down with family, other role models, and listening to my heart I want to take my recruitment to another level.”

“With that being said, I will be flipping my commitment to the University of Georgia,” Miller concluded his statement.”

Miller is a three-star recruit according to 247Sports and Rivals, but a four-star recruit according to his On3 rating. Miller was lined up to beef up the Penn State offensive line with the other additions of [autotag]Alex Birchmeier[/autotag], [autotag]Anthony Donkoh[/autotag], and [autotag]J’ven Williams[/autotag].

Miller is the second player to de-commit from Penn State’s Class of 2023. Previously, athlete Neeo Avery backed off his commitment to Penn State nearly four months after committing to the program.

Penn State’s current recruiting class is still in solid shape overall, but the loss of a decent offensive lineman certainly stings as the program is attempting to rebuild its offensive line stability.

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Alex Birchmeier plans to enroll early at Penn State

One of Penn State’s biggest commits in the Class of 2023 says he will be enrolling early.

Penn State has invested its time and effort immensely in the Class of 2023 in improving the quality of the offensive line, and one key member of that recruiting class intends to join the program in January.

[autotag]Alex Birchmeier[/autotag], the first commitment for Penn State in the Class of 2023 and a five-star offensive lineman, says he plans on enrolling at Penn State in January, according to Lions247. That will allow Birchmeier to participate in Penn State’s offseason workout conditioning and spring football practices next year. All of that will put him on a fast track to finding a role on the Penn State offensive line, possibly as early as the 2023 season.

Penn State’s entire offensive line is under a microscope in 2022 after a tough 2021 season. The Nittany Lions lose Rasheed Walker to the NFL draft and welcome in one of the top offensive linemen in the transfer portal, Hunter Nourzad. The expectation is the offensive line will be improved in 2022, and it will have to be in order for Penn State’s offense to have any chance of being consistently productive.

Penn State had a rough season running the football and quarterback Sean Clifford was knocked out of two games last season due to injury. Having an improved offensive line will help both of those causes in the fall. But the Class of 2023 is showing Penn State is attacking the overall offensive line picture pretty heavily.

In addition to the five-star Birchmeier, Penn State also has commitments from [autotag]Joshua Miller[/autotag] (four-stars according to On3) and [autotag]Anthony Donkoh[/autotag] (three-stars) out of Virginia (Birchmeier’s home state as well), and five-star [autotag]J’ven Williams[/autotag] from Reading, Pennsylvania.

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Penn State football commit J’ven Williams breaks state shot put record

Penn State football commit J’Ven Williams dominates at the Pennsylvania high school track and field championships

One of Penn State’s top recruits lined up in the Class of 2023 is making sure to leave his mark on his high school track and field career before he makes the jump to play offensive line for the Nittany Lions. [autotag]J’ven Williams[/autotag] set a new high school record in Pennsylvania at the PIAA Class 2A championships on Saturday by launching a shot 66 feet 7.75 inches.

Not only did Williams crush it in the shot put, but he also won the gold medal in the discus event held this weekend at Shippensburg University. Not a bad way to spend a Memorial Day weekend in the Cumberland Valley.

 

Ironically, Williams broke a state record that stood for an impressive 15 years. The record was previously set by [autotag]Joe Kovacs[/autotag], a Penn State track and field legend in his own right. Kovacs won the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics last summer, earning his second career Olympic medal and adding to his medal collection.

Williams is a four-star offensive lineman recruit in Penn State’s Class of 2023. Williams has been ranked as the top recruit in the state of Pennsylvania, and he could arguably be the top offensive lineman in Penn State’s next recruiting class. Proving not to just be a shot put master, Williams was also named a First-Team All-County tackle and the offensive lineman of the year last season.

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