Tag: Liam Andrews

Top five defensive linemen signed to the Big Ten during the early signing period

Top five defensive linemen signed to the Big Ten during the early signing period #GoBucks

The initial hype of the early signing period has died down, but there was a ton of talent to explore and so much so we are breaking it down by position. We have already dove into the top five quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, offensive tackles, interior offensive linemen and edge defenders to sign with Big Ten teams and now we want to break down a position that Ohio State actually attacked in a meaningful way at defensive line.

The Big Ten actually did not dominate in recruiting this position, only snagging five of the top 25 defensive linemen in the country and that is including the new teams via expansion. This shouldn’t be surprising to anyone who is watching the bowl games that a majority of Big Ten schools are undersized and underwhelming on the interior of the defensive line.

Let’s now dive into the top five defensive linemen to sign with Big Ten teams during the early signing period according to 247Sports. Also, other sites may have some of the players assigned to different positions, but we’re just going by how 247Sports has them classified.

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.

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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.

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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.

Where Penn State’s Class of 2024 ranks nationally after big recruiting weekend

Penn State’s Class of 2024 gets a bump in the national rankings following two four-star additions this weekend.

Penn State had another productive weekend on the recruiting trail. On Friday, Penn State received a commitment from four-star defensive lineman Liam Andrews out of Massachusetts. On Saturday, another four-star defensive lineman, T.A. Cunningham from Miami, gave his commitment to the Nittany Lions. And for a brief moment, Penn State’s Class of 2024 jumped back into the top five nationally.

247Sports bumped Penn State up from no. 7 before the commitment from Andrews up to no. 5 following the Cunningham commitment. But Penn State settled at no. 6 as the weekend went on with Alabama edging the Nittany Lions for the no. 5 spot in the composite rankings calculated by 247Sports.

Penn State also has a solid spot in the top 10 from On3. On3’s team rankings has Penn State at no. 7 in the nation, one spot behind Clemson and one spot ahead of USC.

Rivals also ranks Penn State’s Class of 2024 at no. 7 on its updated class rankings. Penn State sits one spot behind Oregon and one spot ahead of Tennessee according to Rivals.

All three recruiting outlets agree on the top three schools in the nation right now for the Class of 2024. Georgia takes the top spot on all three, followed by Ohio State and then Florida. Michigan is fourth on the list according to 247Sports and Rivals, but Alabama is fourth on the rankings from On3, followed by the Wolverines.

247Sports ranks Alabama fifth on their list, followed by Penn State, USC, Tennessee, Notre Dame, and Texas A&M, respectively, to complete the top 10. Tennessee and Texas A&M come in at no. 9 and no. 10 on the On3 list behind Penn State and USC.

Rivals has Notre Dame the highest ranked among the recruiting outlets at no. 5, followed by Oregon, Penn Stae, and Tennessee. Clemson and Texas A&M complete the top 10 with Alabama nowhere to be found, relatively speaking (no. 16).

With 24 commitments on the board for the Class of 2024, Penn State appears to be trending toward a possible top 10 class. But with a mostly full class leaving little more room for additions while other schools appear to have more scholarships to fill, holding onto a top 10 class could prove to be difficult. Regardless, Penn State is lining up another one of the top classes in the Big Ten to keep things stabilized in the years to come.

The biggest problem, however, is Big Ten foes Michigan and Ohio State look to be pulling in classes ranked higher, and incoming Big Ten member USC (in 2024) is a potential threat to jump Penn State when all is said and done with the Class of 2024. But with the age of a 12-team College Football Playoff also coming, Penn State is looking to be in pretty good shape with its roster.

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Penn State Class of 2024 profile: Four-star defensive lineman Liam Andrews

Here is a snapshot look at Penn State’s latest four-star commitment, defensive lineman Liam Andrews.

Penn State added another four-star commitment to the Class of 2024 with a commitment from one of the top players out of the New England region. Liam Andrews, who has confirmed he will focus on playing on the defensive line, became the fourth player on the defensive line to commit to Penn State since the school named Deion Barnes as its defensive line coach.

Penn State began recruiting Andrews to help out on the offensive line, as most schools did. But as he continued to go through his recruiting process, the path to success began to be mapped out on the opposite side of the line, and Penn State was hoping to continue some momentum in the trenches with Barnes in his new role. Andrews had long been considered a strong Penn State lean, and he continued to follow through on that path with his commitment.

Here is a snapshot look at one of Penn State’s four-star players in the Class of 2024 set to help out on the defensive side of the football.

Four-star defensive lineman Liam Andrews commits to Penn State

Penn State gains another four-star commitment for 2024 with the commitment of defensive lineman Liam Andrews.

Penn State is heading into another summer weekend with another four-star player on the board for the Class of 2024. Four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Liam Andrews[/autotag] officially announced his commitment to Penn State on Friday, giving the Nittany Lions its 23rd commitment in the class.

Andrews is a 6′-5″, 260-pound lineman from Brookline, Massachusetts. He is ranked as the 92nd-best player in the nation overall by the 247Sports composite rankings, and the 14th-best defensive lineman in the nation. 247Sports ranks him as the top player in Massachusetts (second in the state according to the composite rankings).

Penn State had been considered the favorite to secure the commitment from Andrews. Andrews chose the Nittany Lions over offers from Wisconsin and South Carolina. He took official visits to all three schools in the month of June with Penn State being the first trip.

Andrews was originally looking to be an offensive lineman, but he announced days ago he will be focusing on defense. This is good news for Penn State, which now has four defensive linemen in the Class of 2024; edge rushers Xavier Gilliam and Mylachi Williams, and lineman De’Andre Cook. All four players have committed to the program after Penn State named Deion Barnes as its full-time defensive line coach.

Penn State’s Class of 2024 was ranked seventh in the nation according to the updated 247Sports composite team rankings prior to the commitment of Andrews. Penn State was a little more than a full point behind USC in the overall rankings, and about a point and a half ahead of Texas A&M.

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Top Mass. recruit Liam Andrews announces commitment to Penn State

In high school Andrews has been a two-way player, but he will exclusively be playing defensive line in college.

Dexter School (Mass.) four-star defensive lineman Liam Andrews announced his commitment to Penn State this morning. He broke the news live on 247Sports from his high school.

Andrews (6-foot-5, 275 pounds) had offers from 21 other schools, with his other finalists being South Carolina and Wisconsin.

Asked why he picked Penn State over the others, Andrews admitted it was a tough decision, but he said their scheme fits his style, per On3.

“The decision was very tough… Penn State won out after I took a break from talking to coaches and did some real thinking… I chose Penn State because of the feeling I get when I step on campus. It just feels at home. The people there are also exceptional and really care about you. I have great relationships with many of the staff members and even some players. Their scheme also fits my play style very well. They move their [defensive] tackles around a lot and have them play aggressively, which is perfect for me.”

In high school, Andrews has been a two-way player, but he will exclusively be playing defensive line at the college level.

Going by the 247Sports rankings, Andrews is the top prospect in the state of Massachusetts, No. 17 among defensive linemen and No. 101 nationally in the class of 2024.

Penn State’s group of 23 hard commits in this class has climbed up to No. 7 in the nation.

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BREAKING: Top Wisconsin 2024 target commits to a familiar Big Ten rival

Wisconsin loses out on top 2024 DL Liam Andrews

The Wisconsin Badgers just saw another of its top targets in the class of 2024 commit to Penn State.

This time it’s four-star defensive lineman Liam Andrews. A Massachusetts native, Andrews is 247Sports’ No. 92 player in the class, No. 14 defensive lineman and No. 2 recruit from his home state.

Defensive line remains arguably the weakest position in Wisconsin’s class of 2024. Two players are currently committed at the position: three-star Hank Weber and three-star Dillan Johnson.

Andrews joins top Wisconsin in-state recruits RB Corey Smith and OL Donovan Harbour in Penn State’s 2024 group. The class is firmly within the top 10 in the nation with 23 total commitments and a Blue Chip Ratio of 65%.

Wisconsin now turns focus to its remaining targets on the board as its 2024 class gets finalized.

Wisconsin top 2024 DL target is predicted to commit to a Big Ten rival

Andrews is set to announce his commitment tomorrow

Wisconsin’s class of 2024 awaits the commitment date of four-star defensive lineman Liam Andrews.

The Badgers’ class has shot up the rankings since the start of July, adding four four-star recruits in that time and rising to No. 19 in the nation. The class is almost complete, with only a few top targets remaining on the board.

One of those top targets is Andrews. Wisconsin made the top three for the Brookline, Massachusetts native alongside South Carolina and Penn State.

Adding the defensive lineman would be big news for Luke Fickell and his staff. The 2024 class’ only real weakness is at that position, with only two three-stars currently committed.

Unfortunately for Wisconsin’s chances, Andrews currently has four 247Sports Crystal Ball Predictions for Penn State. Those predictions come from 247Sports’ Penn State Insider, Wisconsin Insider, National Analyst and Director of Football Recruiting.

It’s safe to say landing the top lineman is a long shot at the moment. He is currently scheduled to announce his commitment tomorrow.