Tag: Kaden Saunders

Uniform numbers for Penn State early-enrollees revealed during THON weekend

Uniform numbers for Penn State early enrollees in Class of 2022 revealed during THON weekend, including Drew Allar and Nicholas Singleton.

THON weekend is a signature event on Penn State’s campus, and it is much more important than sports. But sometimes it tears a page back on some sports developments going on around the campus. In this case, the first look at some of Penn State’s newest additions in the Class of 2022 in their new jerseys is worth noting.

Lions 247 caught a number of Penn State’s early enrollees in the Class of 2022, including quarterback Drew Allar and running back Nicholas Singleton, taking part in some activities that are a part of the THON Weekend, and they were wearing Penn State uniforms for the first time in a public setting.

While there could always be some changes down the line before the 2022 football season kicks off with a Thursday night opener at Purdue in Week 1, here is what uniform numbers some of the newest Nittany Lions were spotted wearing this weekend.

  • Kaden Saunders, WR – 7
  • Beau Pribula, QB – 9
  • Nicholas Singleton, RB – 10
  • Drew Allar, QB – 15
  • Omari Evans, WR – 18
  • Zane Durant, DL – 28
  • Jerry Cross, TE – 88

Penn State’s spring game, the Blue-White Game, is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 23.

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With Jahan Dotson opting out, Parker Washington becomes Penn State’s top receiver

With Jahan Dotson opting out, Parker Washington and KeAndre Lambert-Smith tasked with stepping up in Outback Bowl

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As many expected would happen, Jahan Dotson officially announced he is declaring for the NFL draft in 2022. As a result, Dotson will pass on playing one final game for the Penn State Nittany Lions and thus will skip this week’s Outback Bowl against the Arkansas Razorbacks in Tampa. With Dotson unavailable, Penn State has a new leading receiver in Parker Washington.

The sophomore from Texas should be ready for the responsibility of being the team’s top receiver for quarterback Sean Clifford. Washington has already established himself as a valuable asset in to the Penn State passing game after serving as the perfect complement to Dotson and at times having better performances than his NFL-bound role model.

Washington enters the Outback Bowl already with 722 receiving yards, making him the leading receiver for either team playing in the Outback Bowl (Arkansas also lost its top receiver to an opt-out in Treylon Burks). Although Washington has only been responsible for four touchdown catches this season, he has made plenty of big plays to give Penn State’s offense a lift, which is why Clifford will likely look to Washington in key spots against the Razorbacks when the Nittnay Lions need some big yards.

Washington won’t be the only receiver looking to step his game up with extra opportunities in the absence of Dotson. KeAndre Lambert-Smith will also be a player to keep a close eye on. Lambert-Smith has 31 receptions for 447 yards and a pair of touchdowns this season, and his role should be elevated a bit without Dotson in the picture. Lambert-Smith leads Penn State in average yards per reception among players with at least 17 receptions this season (Malick Meiga has an average of 26 yards per reception with just three receptions for a total of 78 yards thanks to a long touchdown against Rutgers). Lambert-smith has also come up with some clutch plays for the offense and is capable of turning out some big chunk of yardage as well.

Odds are pretty good Penn State’s staff and roster were aware of the likelihood they would be playing without Dotson and a handful of key defensive starters, so it is likely offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich has been designing his gameplan for Arkansas around the idea of spreading the ball around a bit more with Washington and Lambert-Smith as the top two receivers. This would appear to be a good week to also have Clifford find ways of getting the tight ends more involved. When tight ends Theo Johnson and Brenton Strange are making solid contributions, Penn State’s passing game is likely in for a big day.

Beyond the Outback Bowl, the future of the wide receiver position for 2022 looks promising. Washington and Lambert-Smith are slated to return in 2022 to give the offense a solid combo at receiver. The Class of 2021 included a four-star receiver in Lonnie White Jr., but the talented two-sport athlete has already decided to pursue a career in professional baseball after being drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2021 amateur MLB draft. But the Class of 2022 seemingly made up for it with four-star players Kaden Saunders and Anthony Ivey. It may not take too long next fall to begin hearing those names on Saturdays.

Penn State faces Arkansas in the Outback Bowl on Saturday, January 1, 2022 at 12 p.m. ET.

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Video highlights of each member of Penn State football’s Class of 2022

WATCH: Video highlights of each Penn State Class of 2022 player

Penn State locked in its Class of 2022 at the start of the NCAA’s early signing period, and with it comes a bunch of buzz for the future of the Nittany Lions under the leadership of head coach James Franklin. But chances are most of you are unfamiliar with what any of these new faces will bring to the table for Penn State. So it’s a good thing Penn State served up some highlight packages to give fans a quick glimpse of the kind of talent that is joining the program.

Enjoy this collection of video highlights of Penn State’s newest additions in the Class of 2022.

Big board: Penn State’s 2022 football recruiting class by position

Breaking down Penn State football’s Class of 2022 position by position.

Penn State’s Class of 2022 has long been recognized as one of the top classes in the nation. The latest (and greatest) recruiting class to be signed by James Franklin looks to add some tremendous quality and depth to various positions across the roster and has some players to really look forward to watching grow almost immediately.

For a long stretch in this recruiting cycle, Penn State had the nation’s top-ranked class, and it continued to be ranked highest among Big Ten schools up until shortly before the early signing period. But there is no disputing the ranking of Penn State’s Class of 2022 is proof Penn State has been hitting it hard on the recruiting trail this cycle.

Here is a breakdown of Penn State’s Class of 2022 broken down by position.

Kaden Saunders set the bar for Penn State’s stellar Class of 2022

Kaden Saunders, the first recruit on the board for Penn State’s Class of 2022, will bring speed to the offense and special teams

Name: Kaden Saunders

Position: Wide Receiver

Height: 5′-11″

Weight: 166 lb

Hometown: Westerville, OH

High School: Westerville South

Twitter: @KSaunders03

Committed: July 25, 2020

247 Sports: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rivals.com: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overview

Penn State began compiling one of the best-recruiting classes in program history with the commitment of Class of 2022 wide receiver Kaden Saunders. Saunders, from Ohio, was the first commitment on the board for the Class of 2022 for James Franklin and the Nittany Lions, setting the bar high for what would turn out to be a top 10 recruiting class in Happy Valley.

Saunders is a speedy receiver who brings the ability to hit the fifth gear in the blink of an eye and make cuts in the open field to shake a defender when needed. Like many receivers of his nature, Saunders will probably benefit from strength training once he gets on campus, as he could stand to bulk up a little to go against some of the defensive backs he will be squaring up with down the line in Big Ten play.

Saunders has the ideal size and speed to fit into a slot receiver role, but he will add to the quality receiving unit Penn State has to work with and could be utilized in various roles to mix things up or spread things around.

Saunders also has the ideal fit for a solid special teams returner, either on kickoff or punt duty. The importance of a big kickoff return man has been diminished in recent years with changes to the kickoff rules in college football, but a possible big punt return can still be vital for any winning team. Don’t be shocked if Saunders is a player used for punt returns before getting a larger role on offense.

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USA TODAY High School Sports recruiting rankings Power 5 spotlight: Big Ten

See the top 10 high school football recruits committed to Big Ten schools.

As recruiting for the high school football class of 2022 picks up, more and more schools are seeing who may be its superstars of the future.

Only two five-star players are committed to Big Ten schools as of Nov. 3, but there are 52 four-star recruits, the second-most of any conference.

Here’s a dive into the top-10 ranked players, according to the USA TODAY High School Sports Composite Player Rankings, The list averages the grades from the three biggest recruiting services: 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals. 

For conferences that do not have 10 players in the top-100, the remainder of the list came from the 247Sports Composite Ranking. That does not apply to the Big Ten, which has 13 top-100 players.

(Note: The recruit’s measurements and position are courtesy of 247Sports.)

Highlighting 5 top Ohio high school football recruit performances

Here is a glimpse of how the top high school prospects in Ohio played.

All though we are still waiting anxiously for the Ohio State football team to kick off its football season, Ohio high schools around the state have at least broken the seal, and we wanted to provide a breakdown on how some of the top prospects have played.

If you follow us here at Buckeyes Wire you know how much we love Gabe Powers, but unfortunately, Marysville High School does not kick off their season until next week. There is still a ton of exciting talent and we will highlight where the prospect is currently committed as well.

Here are some of the most notable performances from Friday under the lights in the great state of Ohio.

Penn State’s Class of 2022 is now ranked No. 2

Penn State’s latest recruiting efforts continue to pay off in a big way in the recruiting rankings for 2022

After a brilliant week of recruiting news, Penn State’s Class of 2022 continues to move up in the national rankings. And it didn’t have that far it could have moved. After coming out of the July 4th weekend with the nation’s No. 3 recruiting class according to the 247 Sports composite ranking, the Nittany Lions have moved up one spot.

According to the updated composite rankings from 247 Sports, Penn State has moved up to No. 2 in the nation, passing Notre Dame. The Irish fell one spot to occupy the ranking recently held by the Nittany Lions. Ohio State remains the nation’s recruiting leader with the highest-rated class featuring four five-star recruits in the Class of 2022.

Penn State’s recruiting ranking was given a healthy boost over the July 4th weekend with the additions of four-star defenders Tyreese Fearbry and Zane Durant. The weekend also saw the additions of linebacker Keon Wylie and defensive lineman Kaleb Artis. Penn State also added a JUCO commitment from JB Nelson. The big splash continued on Tuesday when four-star running back Nicholas Singleton from Reading, PA announced his commitment to the Nittany Lions.

Penn State’s Class of 2022 already included a number of four-star recruits as well including wide receivers Kaden Saunders, Mekhi Flowers, and Anthony Ivey, offensive tackle Drew Shelton, quarterback Drew Allar and defensive end Ken Talley, just to name a few.

As of the morning of July 9, here is a look at the top 10 in the recruiting rankings from 247 Sports;

  1. Ohio State
  2. Penn State
  3. Notre Dame
  4. LSU
  5. Oklahoma
  6. Florida State
  7. Georgia
  8. Texas
  9. Oregon
  10. Michigan

Asking Penn State to climb to No. 1 is unrealistic at this point, barring a completely unexpected collapse from Ohio State, but the Nittany Lions are easily on track to record the highest-rated recruiting class under head coach James Franklin yet. Keeping everyone in the class still requires work too between now and the early signing period in December. And it’s possible another school may eclipse Penn State at some point. But the Nittany Lions are in a terrific spot in the middle of the summer.

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Tennessee offers Penn State wide receiver commit

Tennessee Vols’ football recruiting news.

Josh Heupel and his Tennessee coaching staff are recruiting towards the Vols’ 2022 signing class.

The Vols have offered 2022 wide receiver prospect and Penn State commit Kaden Saunders.

“Thankful to receive an offer from the University of Tennessee,” Saunders said on Twitter.

The 5-foot-10, 172-pound wide receiver committed to Penn State on July 25, 2020. He is from Westerville South High School in Westerville, Ohio.

Josh Heupel speaks during a press conference announcing his hiring as football head coach for the University of Tennessee, in the Stokely Family Media Center in Neyland Stadium, in Knoxville, Tenn., Wednesday, Jan.27, 2021. © Caitie McMekin/Pool via News Sentinel via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Saunders has Power Five offers from Penn State, Tennessee, Alabama, Notre Dame, Oregon, Arizona State, Florida State, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Stanford, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M and West Virginia.

Tennessee currently does not have a commitment for its 2022 recruiting class.

Heupel was hired as Tennessee’s head coach on Jan. 27.

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Quick hitting Notre Dame football recruiting update

A quick look at some of the most recent offers and top lists from Notre Dame football prospects.

There has been plenty of offers being given out from the Notre Dame coaching staff in the 2022 and 2023 class.

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Here is a quick hitting update on some of the offers the Irish staff have given out and decisions by prospects in their recruitment the past few days.

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