Tag: Lamont Payne

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 CB Marquis Wilson reportedly enters transfer portal

Penn State cornerback enters transfer portal

Penn State’s depth in the secondary could be taking a bit of a hit this offseason. Not only is Penn State losing cornerback [autotag]Joey Porter Jr.[/autotag] and safety [autotag]Ji’Ayir Brown[/autotag] to the NFL this spring, but [autotag]Marquis Wilson[/autotag] could be on his way out the door as well. Wilson has made the decision to enter his name into the NCAA transfer portal, according to a report from Lions247 on Monday.

Wilson will have one final year of eligibility to make use of wherever he decides to go next. He has expired his regular eligibility under NCAA rules but does have the extra year granted to all student-athletes impacted by the 2020 COVID-19 season.

By entering his name in the transfer portal, Wilson is free to have contact with any school interested in recruiting him to their program. Wilson can always decide to withdraw his name from the transfer portal should he decide to remain at Penn State. The majority of players entering the transfer portal do end up going elsewhere, although it is certainly not unprecedented to decide to stay.

Penn State defensive lineman Davon Townley did just that. After initially opting to explore the transfer portal possibilities, Townley has reportedly decided to stay with Penn State for the upcoming 2023 season.

Penn State’s outlook at cornerback in 2023 does look to be in decent shape with the return of [autotag]Kalen King[/autotag] and [autotag]Daequan Hardy[/autotag], more consistent play from Johnny Dixon, and continued development of players like [autotag]Cam Miller[/autotag] and the addition of star recruits like [autotag]Lamont Payne[/autotag] and [autotag]Zion Tracy[/autotag]. Penn State has also added former North Carolina cornerback [autotag]Storn Duck[/autotag] from the transfer portal to help solidify the depth for next season.

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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.

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 flips four-star safety Elliot Washington from Alabama

Penn State recruiting gets weekend started with a flip from Alabama

What a difference a day can make in the world of college football recruiting. A day after Penn State was on the wrong end of a handful of recruiting headlines, the Nittany Lions are riding into the weekend feeling a bit more optimistic on the recruiting trail. [autotag]Elliot Washington[/autotag], a four-star safety from Florida, announced he has flipped his commitment from Alabama to Penn State, marking a major recruiting victory for Penn State head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag].

Washington had been committed to Alabama even though he announced he was reopening his recruiting to explore a few more options. He never officially announced a decommitment from the Crimson Tide until announcing his new commitment to the Nittany Lions on his Twitter account on Friday afternoon.

Washington is the fourth highest-rated player in Penn State’s current Class of 2023 lineup according to 247Sports. The 5′-11″ safety is a speedster too with a successful background in track and field.

Last season for Venice High School, Washington had 58 tackles and four interceptions in 15 games as a key player for Venice’s run to a state championship.

Washignton made two official visits in the month of June. The first was to Penn State on June 10. Two weeks later, Washington visited Michigan State, and the Spartans began to trend as the favorite to secure his commitment. But as Penn State fans know all too well, sometimes the recruiting experts can be caught off guard as well.

Washington is the fourth safety on the board for Penn State in the Class of 2023. He joins a safety-heavy class that already includes [autotag]King Mack[/autotag], [autotag]DaKaari Nelson[/autotag], and [autotag]Conrad Hussey[/autotag]. All three of those players are also four-star players according to the 247Sports composite player rankings. Penn State has also added to its defensive secondary with cornerback [autotag]Lamont Payne[/autotag], one of its top in-state targets.

Penn State’s 2023 football commitment tracker

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Lion King: Four-star safety King Mack commits to Penn State

Four-star safety King Mack commits to Penn State in Class of 2023

Penn State continues to add some terrific building blocks for future stability in the defensive backfield. On Thursday afternoon, Penn State received a commitment from four-star safety [autotag]King Mack[/autotag], from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Mack is the 16th commitment in Penn State’s Class of 2023 and another key defensive player to add to the mix. Penn State also received commitments from four-star safeties DaKaari Nelson and Conrad Hussey in the recruiting class. What remains to be seen now will be if Penn State can keep all three in the recruiting class. Penn State also added to its secondary with cornerback [autotag]Lamont Payne[/autotag], one of the top in-state targets for the Nittany Lions.

Mack measures 5′-11″ and 180 lb according to his recruiting profile on 247Sports. The St. Thomas Aquinas standout was recruited primarily for Penn State by Ja’Juan Seider and Anthony Poindexter. Mack took an official visit to Penn State on June 17, a week after he took an official visit to Michigan State. The Spartans were the other team in the running for Mack’s commitment.

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Penn State’s Class of 2023 continues to impress and will remain one of the top recruiting classes in the nation with the addition of Mack. Penn State owned the nation’s No. 5 recruiting class in the 247Sports composite team rankings at the beginning of the day. Penn State’s recruiting class is also the second-best in the Big Ten behind only Ohio State.

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Twitter reacts to latest Penn State four-star commitment in Class of 2023

Best Twitter reactions following DaKaari Nelson’s commitment to the Nittany Lions

Penn State received some great recruiting news this weekend when Alabama four-star safety [autotag]DaKaari Nelson[/autotag] announced his commitment to the program. Nelson adds to an already impressive Class of 2023 haul that remains highly ranked in the national recruiting rankings, and there could still be some more uplifting recruiting news to come for the Nittany Lions.

The addition of Nelson to the recruiting class certainly drew plenty of reactions after his Saturday afternoon commitment from head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] firing off his patented recruiting news tweet to other members of the Class of 2023 welcoming their newest recruiting classmate.

Here is a sampling of tweets reacting to the recruiting news.

Penn State lands Tyriq Blanding to Class of 2023 haul

Penn State beats out Michigan for commitment of Tyriq Blanding.

Penn State started the weekend with some good news on the recruiting trail. [autotag]Tyriq Blanding[/autotag], a Class of 2023 defensive lineman from New York, announced his commitment to the Nittany Lions on Friday evening.

Blanding appeared to be narrowing his search down to Penn State and Michigan. Blanding took an official visit to Penn State’s campus last weekend and was originally scheduled to make an official visit to Michigan next weekend. That official visit to Ann Arbor has now been canceled as Blanding has settled on his decision.

Blanding is a three-star recruit from New York who is ranked the No. 1 recruit in the state of New York by the 247Sports composite ranking (247Sports’ own ranking rates him No. 3 overall in the state).

The addition of Blanding to the Penn State Class of 2023 is a nice rebound after having a commit recently flip his commitment from Penn State to Georgia. Offensive lineman [autotag]Joshua Miller[/autotag] flipped his commitment to the reigning national champions just days prior to Blanding’s announcement.

Blanding joins a Class of 2023 lineup that currently consists of four-star defensive end Jameial Lyons as the only other defensive lineman in the recruiting class to date. Penn State has also added to the defense with cornerback [autotag]Lamont Payne[/autotag] and safety Conrad Hussey. Much of the effort in the Class of 2023 has been focused on the offensive side of the football.

Penn State’s Class of 2023 currently has 13 commitments and continues to be highly-ranked in the nation.

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Recruiting analyst makes crystal ball pick for Penn State for four-star safety

Recruiting analyst makes crystal ball pick for Penn State for this four-star safety from Florida.

Penn State’s future at the safety position could be on the cusp of some terrific news in the recruiting process. Four-star safety [autotag]King Mack[/autotag], of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is reportedly set to make his college decision this summer, and the first crystal ball prediction on the board at 247Sports favors the Nittany Lions.

247Sports southeast recruiting analyst Andrew Irvins cast his official crystal ball prediction for Mack on June 1 for Penn State. That comes a few weeks before Mack is scheduled to make an official visit at Penn State later this month. Mack is scheduled to visit Penn State on June 17.

A week prior, Mack will be scheduled to visit Michigan State (June 10).  With Penn State and Michigan State being the only official visits confirmed for June, it does appear as though Mack’s decision will be coming down to the two Big Ten programs. Penn State getting the second visit is a good sign. Penn State has been considered the favorite. The On3 prediction machine calculates Penn State with a 97.3% chance to land the coveted commitment.

Mack is a 5′-11″ safety from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale. 247Sports ranks him as the No. 20 safety in the Class of 2023 and the No. 52 player in the fertile state of Florida. Mack is also an accomplished track star and he recorded 54 tackles with four interceptions for St. Thoma Aquinas en route to a Florida 7A state championship last fall.

Penn State currently has one safety on the board for the Class of 2023 with [autotag]Conrad Hussey[/autotag], Mack’s teammate at St. Thomas Aquinas High School. Penn State also has added [autotag]Lamont Payne[/autotag] at cornerback in the Class of 2023 to add to the future depth in the defensive secondary. The addition of Mack would be a huge win for the Penn State recruiting class in its effort to provide years of future stability in the secondary.

We’ll be sure to be keeping an eye on Mack’s recruiting process this month, beginning with his visit to Michigan State next week.

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2023 Penn State football snapshot profile: CB Lamont Payne

Snapshot profile of Penn State Class of 2023 commit Lamont Payne.

As we continue our way profiling the 2023 Penn State football recruiting class, next up is cornerback [autotag]Lamont Payne[/autotag]. On the defensive side of the ball, The cornerback room might be one of if not the most intriguing positions for the future of the Nittany Lions.

Payne comes in with already plenty of young talent in that cornerback room.