Tag: lyrick samuel

Penn State swinging for fences with multiple 2025 wide receivers

Penn State is working hard to add talented wide receivers in the Class of 2025.

After what transpired last season, everyone has their eye on what Penn State does at the wide receiver position in future recruiting classes.

There is a lot of pressure and expectations on [autotag]Marques Hagans[/autotag] to deliver elite talent to his receiver room, and while the future recruits won’t immediately help in the upcoming year, having a top pool to choose from should ensure the Nittany Lions don’t have down season in terms of production.

It’s clear that 2025 is an important target, and they are swinging for the fences in terms of who they are going after.

On3 has reported there are multiple wide receivers set to visit Happy Valley during the spring and summer with hopes that they land many of the names on their list.

As of now, there is only one receiver committed in the class, three-star [autotag]Lyrick Samuel[/autotag] from New York.

Sean Fitz of On3 said that one of Hagans’ top targets, Quincy Porter, is visiting Penn State in an unofficial fashion on March 29. This will mark the second time he’s been back on campus as he wasn’t able to come to the White Out game (subscription required).

The consensus four-star recruit out of New Jersey is a 6’3″, 190-pound receiver who is rated as 54th-best player in the country and No. 7 overall player at his position according to On3’s Industry Rankings.

Two others have locked in official visits with the Nittany Lions this summer.

[autotag]Lex Cyrus[/autotag] is a Pennsylvania native and four-star recruit. He made a big leap in the new On3 rankings that have him 132nd player in the country and No. 17 wide receiver. He’s a 5’10”, 175-pounder who seems to be leaning Penn State’s way based on the amount of visits he’s already taken to Happy Valley, but he’ll be expanding his radius in the coming months before visiting the Nittany Lions starting May 31 (subscription required).

The other receiver taking an official visit is [autotag]Taz Williams Jr.[/autotag], who is playing his high school football in Texas, but grew up in Pittsburgh.

He’s a 6’0″, 180-pounder who is listed as a four-star and ranked as the 39th-best wide receiver in the class of 2025.

Ryan Snyder of On3 reported that this could be a difficult process for Penn State to win as multiple other elite programs are currently leading the way in his recruitment (subscription required).

Williams Jr. has already locked in four other official visits with the Nittany Lions hosting him starting June 14.

This is a great sign for Penn State as they clearly have recognized a need to start recruiting the receiver room at a higher rate and get in more talented players to compete with other programs in the Big Ten and those who are entering.

Penn State makes top-five of four-star wide receiver

Penn State is one of the top schools remaining for this four-star wide receiver from New Jersey.

Until the wide receiving group takes a step forward from what they showed on the field in 2023-24, a ton of attention will be given to that group in preseason workouts and recruiting.

Penn State only has one commitment at receiver so far in the class of 2025 in [autotag]Lyrick Samuel[/autotag].

It goes without saying that [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and his staff will heavily be focused on landing as much talent as possible for that position room before this cycle is over.

They got some good news when four-star wide receiver [autotag]Michael Thomas III[/autotag] included the Nittany Lions in his top-five list.

The 5’10” 185-pound New Jersey native is rated as one of the best players in the state, listed as No. 3 and 19th-best player at his position according to On3’s Industry Rankings.

Along with Penn State, he’s also included Rutgers, Illinois, Syracuse and Boston College on his list.

An interesting note Thomas’ recruitment is that his longest standing relationship is with assistant recruiting coordinator Khalil Ahmad, who recently returned to Penn State after stepping down from his role at Syracue.

“Coach Ahmad is a cool dude. We built a relationship a while ago before he joined PSU. He keeps it 100 all the time. He just checks in on me, makes sure I’m good and gives me some good points and advice about my upcoming season,” he told Sean Fitz of On3.

Despite the close proximity, the Nittany Lions have not necessarily recruited New Jersey to the level that some might expect.

Ahmad has roots in the state from his high school coaching days and should prove to be a major asset in Penn State’s approach to recruit New Jersey at a higher level.

Getting a commitment from Thomas would be a major plus.

Penn State’s 2025 football commitment tracker

We have an updated football commitment tracker for Penn State following Monday’s latest commitment.

Penn State got off to a fast start with assembling its Class of 2025 on the recruiting trail. James Franklin and his staff quickly put together a class ranking in the top 10 of the national recruiting rankings even before the Class of 2024 was wrapping up for good. An early focus on defense was noticeable with Penn State’s recruiting plans for the Class of 2025 and some key players from neighboring states were among the early highlights of the recruiting class.

We will be keeping tabs on the Penn State Class of 2025 all the way through the recruiting cycle up until the commitments sign with Penn State. Should there be any players backing off their commitment, we will track their status as well as their recruiting process plays out.

This tracker will be updated as necessary, with the most recent update being made on February 20, 2024.

Where Penn State’s Class of 2025 ranks after Lyrick Samuel commitment

Where does Penn State’s Class of 2025 rank in the recruiting rankings after the commitment of Lyrick Samuel?

Penn State was hoping to land a surprise commitment from an in-state offensive lineman on Monday but missed out on Josh Williams to Stanford. That move was to be expected as the Haverford lineman approached his decision. But Penn State did start the week with a commitment with wide receiver Lyrick Samuel offering up his commitment to the Nittany Lions on Monday. The three-star wide receiver from New York led to Penn State’s recruiting ranking getting a slight nudge in some of the team rankings from the various recruiting outlets.

Here is an updated look at where Penn State’s Class of 2025 currently ranks according to three major recruiting outlets. Two of them are on the same page while one outlier is a bit more pessimistic about Penn State’s current recruiting ranking. Here are the latest team rankings following Monday’s commitment from Samuel, how Penn State’s current commitment list stands out, and a look at a key recruiting target to keep an eye on moving forward.

Penn State lands commitment from dominant New York wide receiver Lyrick Samuel

Lyrick Samuel makes a big commitment to Penn State.

Penn State continued some strong recruiting momentum by landing Lyrick Samuel on Monday.

A three-star wide receiver, Samuel is one of the top players in New York in the 2025 recruiting class. He took a visit in late January to Happy Valley which helped seal the deal for the athlete to land at Penn State.

He also held offers from Michigan State, Syracuse, Rutgers and West Virginia. Rivals ranks him as the No. 2 player in New York.

At 6-foot-4 and 185 pounds, Samuel has a long frame and a big catch radius. He is coming off a standout season at powerhouse Erasmus Hall (Brooklyn, New York).

He takes long strides and uses his length well to make contested catches.

Samuel posted on social media on Monday evening about his commitment to Penn State.

 

With the commitment, Penn State now has 12 players who have given a verbal in the 2025 class. They rank fifth in the nation according to Rivals.

Last year, Penn State finished 10-3 with a loss to Ole Miss in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl.

Class of 2025 WR Lyrick Samuel commits to Penn State

Penn State picks up a key commitment from three-star WR Lyrick Samuel from New York.

Ring the bell for another new addition to the Penn State Class of 2025! Penn State received a commitment from [autotag]Lyrick Samuel[/autotag], a three-star wide receiver from New York, on Monday evening, adding a key player at a position of need in what is already being recognized as one of the top recruiting classes in the nation in the next recruiting cycle.

Samuel announced his commitment to Penn State with a post on his X (formerly known as Twitter) account on Monday evening.

“I [would] like to thank every program that has taken the time to show an interest in me,” Samuel said in his social media post. After deep consideration and conversations with my family I have decided that I will be committing to Penn State University.”

Samuel measures 6′-3″ and 175-pounds and is regarded as one of the top players out of New York. Samuel is rated as a three-star recruit by 247Sports and Rivals but picks up a fourth star from On3. Penn State had emerged as the favorite for his commitment over Rutgers, Syracuse, Michigan State, and more.

Helping give Penn State an edge may have been the connection to Josiah Brown, a current Penn State signee and a close friend from New York. Brown is a wide receiver in Penn State’s Class of 2024.

Samuel is Penn State’s 12th commitment in the Class of 2025. Penn State’s recruiting class for 2025 currently ranks no. 5 in the updated composite team rankings from 247Sports.

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Crystal ball projects Penn State to land first WR in class of 2025

Recruiting expert believes Penn State is the team to beat for this wide receiver recruiting target in 2025.

Wide receiver continues to be the topic of discussion this offseason for Penn State as winter workouts have gotten underway and recruiting efforts start ramping up even further.

The Nittany Lions have put together a solid class of 2025 so far, currently holding 11 commits.

That seemingly could change soon as 247Sports’ National Recruiting Coordinator, Brian Dohn, has put in a crystal ball pick that projects Penn State to land three-star wide receiver [autotag]Lyrick Samuel[/autotag].

This would be the first receiver to commit to the Nittany Lions in the class of 2025.

Dohn is a perfect 16-for-16 on his 2025 picks, suggesting it’s a very strong possibility that Penn State lands the Brooklyn, NY native.

He’s listed at just under 6’4″ and weighs 175 pounds. He would give the Nittany Lions a bigger-bodied type of receiver to their room.

247Sports has him listed as a three-star prospect and the second-best player in the state of New York. However, On3 is a bit higher on the wideout, rating him as a four-star.

This would be an important get for [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and [autotag]Marques Hagans[/autotag].

Wide receiver has become a premium position in college football and it’s imperative they start recruiting at a national level to keep up with the updated offensive philosophies.

Last year was not good enough for their receiving unit and they need as much help as possible in the coming years.

As a three-star, Samuel isn’t a program changer by any means, but depth is important as players continue developing their skill sets when they get into a collegiate system.

There’s also a possibility that Samuel could continue to rise up recruiting rankings as he does the camp circuits throughout the spring and summer before his final year of high school football.

Which Rutgers football commit did Dave Brock compare to Julio Jones?

Rutgers football wide receivers coach Dave Brock compares one recruit to Julio Jones.

This offseason was a big one for Rutgers football as they reshaped their coaching staff, making three moves on the offensive side of the ball. Two of the additions are position coaches who coached that position in the NFL.

One of those additions, wide receivers coach Dave Brock, was most recently the wide receivers coach for the Atlanta Falcons.

Brock, a former head coach at Boston College, spent six years in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons. After two seasons spent as the assistant wide receivers coach, Brock became the running backs coach of the Falcons in 2019.

The next three seasons, Brock was the wide receivers coach for the Falcons, where he got to work with Julio Jones, one of the top wide receivers in the NFL over the past dozen years.

In late July on a recruiting trip to Rutgers, class of 2025 wide receiver Lyrick Samuel was compared by Brock to Jones.

“The time spent with coach Brock was memorable,” Samuel told Rutgers Wire.

“He did compare me to Julio Jones he also provided me with the opportunity to see and learn how to get better.”

A generational talent, Jones was named an All-Pro five times during his NFL career. He has 903 catches for 13,629 receiving yards and 63 touchdowns in his career.

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Samuel is no slouch as a recruit. The Erasmus Hall wide receiver, who is 6-foot-4 and 175 pounds, was offered by Rutgers in June, his fourth Power Five offer. He has a current offer list that includes Michigan State, Penn State and Syracuse.

“I believe his and I relationship got off to a great start. Having my film broken down by a former NFL receiver coach was so cool,” Samuel said.

“He pointed out things that I did really well and also things that I did bad (sic). He instructed me on things that I could do to improve. He also told me that he hopes to be able to continue to build a relationship with me.”

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Lyrick Samuel breaks down his recent Rutgers football visit

Lyrick Samuel talks about his recent Rutgers football visit.

Two weeks ago, Lyrick Samuel was on campus for an unofficial visit to Rutgers football. It was an opportunity for the Brooklyn wide receiver to connect with the program and further his relationship with the Scarlet Knights.

A 6-foot-4, 175-pound wide receiver, Samuel is a standout on a stacked Erasmus Hall team that finished last season 10-2. He is a member of the 2025 recruiting class.

In June, Rutgers became the fourth Power Five offer for Samuel, joining a list that includes Michigan State, Penn State and Syracuse.

Two weeks ago, Samuel joined several dozen top recruits from the area for a day at Rutgers that included a campus tour, time spent at the football facility, a photo shoot and meetings with several coaches, including head coach Greg Schiano.

“This weekend at Rutgers was different from any other time that I have been there. Rutgers was great (in) that I got to sit down and the coaches and have my game footage critiqued and compared to Julio Jones of the NFL,” Samuel told Rutgers Wire.

“Was a very big deal for me. They illustrated things I did great while also showing things I could improve upon.”

Samuel was part of the Erasmus Hall team that won a recent 7-on-7 competition at the New York Jets facility.

An intriguing prospect, Samuel has good size and length and is a long strider. He rises to meet the ball well and is a good possession wide receiver who can break out and make big plays.

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Another program to keep an eye on in all of this is Penn State, with Samuel saying that the Nittany Lions have made an impression on him as well.

“The Penn State coaching staff took an interest in me personally. They have made me speak about myself as a person outside of football,” Samuel said.

“They explored my interest and dislikes. That meant a lot because no one has ever asked about Lyrick the person, everyone always seemed interested in Lyrick the football player.”

So who is Lyrick the person?

“Lyrick the person is a son, grandson, older brother and friend. I am a charismatic and loving person,” Samuel said.

“I am a tremendous athlete. But also a hard worker. I have set high standards and expectations for myself. I love to sleep, ride my bike, play with my little brother while teasing my little sister. I am someone who plays football and runs track. I also can play basketball but I didn’t say that!”

Samuel is currently unranked by the major recruiting services but that is likely to change shortly.

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Rutgers football recruiting: Erasmus Hall wins 7-on-7 title at New York Jets facility

Erasmus Hall wins 7-on-7 tournament at the New York Jets facility.

Erasmus Hall won the 7-on-7 championship this weekend hosted by the New York Jets, providing further evidence that the Brooklyn school is one of the elite programs in the tri-state area. A major provider of Division 1 talent, Erasmus Hall is a pipeline program to Rutgers football.

The high school team took the title on Sunday at an event held at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. They beat out a strong field that included St. Joseph’s Regional (Montvale, N.J.) and Rampao among others.

And in doing so, they are now back-to-back champions of the event.

Erasmus Hall has developed into a powerhouse over the past decade. They’ve sent a number of top players into college football over the years, namely Rutgers. The likes of wide receivers Aron Cruickshank and Sean Ryan as well as defensive back Christian Iazien are among the names familiar to Rutgers fans over the past few years.

 

In June, Rutgers offered wide receiver Lyrick Samuel, who projects to be the next great wide receiver to emerge from Erasmus Hall. He already holds multiple Power Five offers and could be a four-star recruit when it is all said and done.

In the 2024 recruiting class, Rutgers landed three-star defensive lineman Aaris Bethea from Erasmus Hall. He is ranked the fourth-best player in New York by ESPN.com.

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