Tag: Marques Hagans

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.

Two wide receiver decommits gives Penn State more options

Could Penn State get a second chance at a couple of wide receiver targets in the Class of 2025?

The conversation about Penn State and their wide receiver situation is not going to end anytime soon as long as there remains major questions surrounding the viability of that room.

Entering the upcoming season, they need established players on the team to step up and prevent what happened last year from occurring again.

Going forward, there will be a lot of attention paid to how the Nittany Lions recruit and develop the position.

With that established, it should come as no surprise that [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and wide receiver coach [autotag]Marques Hagans[/autotag] are targeting multiple top-end recruits in the class of 2025.

As of now, there is only one commit in the class.

It’s still early, but things would become a lot more comfortable if Penn State was able to start landing some of the targets on their board.

There was a positive update for the Nittany Lions as two of their past targets in the class decommitted from schools and have reopened their recruiting process.

Tyler Calvaruso of 247Sports reports [autotag]Adrian Wilson[/autotag] has backed out his Oregon commitment and [autotag]Jayvan Boggs[/autotag] decommitted from Ohio State. The insider said Penn State maintained their relationships with both players even following their original pledges, but locking them into a commitment won’t be easy (subscription required).

Wilson is a 6’0″, 170-pound prospect from the state of Texas who is rated as a four-star and the No. 16 overall wide receiver in the 2025 class. It will be seen if they can get him in for a visit after failing to get him to campus during the fall.

Boggs has a similar profile, listed at 6’0″ tall and 188 pounds. The Florida native is also a four-star in 247Sports’ Composite Rankings and is listed as the No. 24 player at his position.

The Nittany Lions have been going after wide receivers heavily in this cycle and these decommitments give them more options to pursue throughout spring and summer.

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.

Elite four-star WR taking visit to Penn State

Penn State’s search for wide receiver depth continues with an upcoming visit from a four-star target.

With how the wide receiver unit performed in 2023-24, it’s no surprise that the recruitment of that position group will be heavily monitored for the next few classes.

Getting better recruits who can perform on gamedays will be crucial to the success of Penn State in the Big Ten and on their quest of competing for a national championship.

They got some great news in their recruitment of elite 2025 wide receiver [autotag]Kaliq Lockett[/autotag] when he announced he’s taking a visit to Happy Valley on March 14.

The 6’1″ 175-pounder from Texas is rated as a four-star by the four major recruiting services.

He exploded onto the scene after his junior year when he caught 59 balls for over 1,300 yards and 13 touchdowns.

On3’s Industry Rankings have him as the No. 52 player nationally and the seventh overall wide receiver in the class. However, 247Sports is the most high on him, listing Lockett as the 11th best player in the country and No. 2 receiver.

This would be an incredible win for [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and wide receivers coach [autotag]Marques Hagans[/autotag].

The others schools he’s planning on visiting as of now are Florida State, Ohio State and LSU, after previously visiting Texas A&M and TCU.

According to Keegan Pope of On3, both Ohio State and LSU are high on his list after seeing the development they’ve had with other receivers who have come through their programs. Alabama and Clemson are of interest to him as well, based on the coaching staffs and atmosphere (subscription required).

It seems like this recruitment could be an uphill battle for the Nittany Lions, but getting him already locked into an official visit could be huge in their process of trying to win him over.

An elite talent like that should be heavily pursued by Penn State and it looks like they are doing all they can to try and land him.

Keandre Lambert-Smith silent on his future at Penn State

Penn State’s leading wide receiver did not comment on his status for 2024 after the Peach Bowl loss.

It was a tough year for the entire Penn State passing game, and it was even more disappointing how things ended in the Peach Bowl. Penn State’s leading wide receiver for the 2023 season, [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag], was without a catch in the Peach Bowl loss to Ole Miss, and he was not ready to share any insight on what the future holds for him in Happy Valley.

Lambert-Smith did not answer questions about his status with the program beyond the Peach Bowl, and the comments from wide receivers coach Marques Hagans were less than inspiring about the possibility of Lambert-Smith returning to Penn State in 2024.

“I think everybody has to make their own decisions on what the future holds and no one can control that,” Hagans said to reporters after the Peach Bowl when asked about Lambert-Smith’s position with the program in 2024.

Lambert-Smith did not offer any comments on the subject, leaving many to speculate that he may not be on the team in 2024.

It is unknown if Lambert-Smith is looking to go to the NFL or enter the transfer portal. But the postgame comments suggest it is more likely Lambert-Smith is not in a Penn State uniform more than the chances he is.

Penn State is already looking for help at the wide receiver position in the transfer portal this offseason, and the Nittany Lions continue to be the favorite to land a commitment from former Ohio State wide receiver Julian Fleming. When that decision is known remains to be seen, although it will likely be coming soon. Even if Fleming does commit to Penn State, the team and coaching staff have a lot of work to do to get the passing game in gear for the 2024 season.

New offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki will look to inject some new life into the offense as a whole, and his key area of focus has to be the passing game with Drew Allar and whoever he has available at receiver. If Lambert-Smith is in the picture, that would be a nice pairing with the expected addition of Fleming. Either way, the receivers already on the roster will have to improve. And according to at least one receiver, they have the talent needed.

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Penn State makes top five for four-star wide receiver in 2024

Penn State is in the final mix for a coveted four-star wide receiver in 2024.

The ball has started to get rolling for Penn State in the class of 2024 with wide receivers. They gained three commitments from the position in one week after sitting at zero for the majority of the 2024 recruiting cycle.

The Nittany Lions were able to flip [autotag]Tyseer Denmark[/autotag] from Oregon which started the momentum. Later in the week, they picked up commitments from [autotag]Peter Gonzalez[/autotag] and [autotag]Josiah Brown[/autotag] on the same day.

New wide receivers coach [autotag]Marques Hagans[/autotag] is looking to keep his foot on the pedal during his first recruitment period with Penn State.

On Tuesday, the Nittany Lions got some surprising news when four-star wide receiver Jonathan Paylor included them in his top five schools. It comes as a surprise because Paylor has not taken a single visit to Penn State in an official or unofficial capacity.

The other schools on his list are South Carolina, North Carolina, NC State and Maryland.

Paylor is a consensus four-star prospect in the class of 2024. On3’s industry rankings have him as the 185th best player in the country and the number 29 overall wide receiver.

The 5’9″ 170 pound receiver is a speed type of player who lines up in the slot, backfield and returns kicks for his high school team. Although he plays on the perimeter and backfield, he’s expected to become a full time wide receiver at the collegiate level.

Paylor has visited every single program in his top five except for Penn State. He just finished his official visit to South Carolina during the weekend of June 23rd.

On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has South Carolina as the massive favorites to land him with a 91.6% chance. Penn State is not even listed on the machine which shows how surprising their inclusion was.

It doesn’t seem like it’s realistic to land Paylor, but maybe the coaching staff can work their magic.

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Penn State lands top NY player and third WR Josiah Brown

Penn State is rolling now with the commitment from wide receiver Josiah Brown in 2024.

The concerns about having zero wide receivers in the class of 2024 have quickly evaporated this week. After flipping coveted instate prospect [autotag]Tyseer Denmark[/autotag] from Oregon earlier in the week, two more wide receivers were added before the weekend.

[autotag]Josiah Brown[/autotag] is a coveted wide receiver of his own. He’s rated as a four-star athlete and the number one player in the state of New York. On3’s industry rankings have him as the 251st player nationally and the 11th best athlete in the country.

Brown’s commitment comes a week after taking his official visit to Penn State. The Long Island product ultimately decided on the Nittany Lions over Rutgers, Syracuse, Georgia and Notre Dame.

He is a highly coveted prospect and a big get for Penn State. New wide receivers coach, [autotag]Marques Hagans[/autotag], was the primary recruiter for Brown and is starting to show why [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] brought him over from Virginia.

Brown spoke with Ryan Snyder of On3 after his commitment. He had some high praise for the entire university saying, “Penn State is a wonderful place when it comes down to it. Between the facilities, the coaches, even graduating from Penn State and the degree you get, it holds so much weight. When I went on my visit, the players treated me like family and I just met them. That said a lot.”

He also spoke about what he saw in Hagans that made him want to come to Penn State saying, “He’s a standup guy. When I went up there, he was very passionate about his players. I saw him teaching everyone the same and making sure everybody got the concepts there.”

It’s not doubt that Penn State just landed three big time prospects at the wide receiver position this week. They now have 20 commitments in their 2024 recruiting class with more seemingly on the way.

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Penn State gets second instate WR with commitment from Peter Gonzalez

Penn State landed another wide receiver in the Class of 2024

Friday was shaping up to be a big day for Penn State, coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and new wide receivers coach [autotag]Marques Hagans[/autotag]. After landing the first wide receiver of the 2024 recruiting class and the first under Hagans earlier this week, there was a big possibility more were on the way.

Those expectations turned into reality when three-star Pennsylvania wide receiver [autotag]Peter Gonzalez[/autotag] officially committed to the Nittany Lions.

Gonzalez is a native of Pittsburgh and plays his high school football at Central Catholic. He is a 6’2″ 200 pound prospect who is a consensus three-star according to the major recruiting sites.

On3’s industry rankings have him listed as the 159th overall receiver in the country and 29th best player in the state of Pennsylvania.

Despite that, Gonzalez was a priority for Franklin and his staff who offered him a scholarship even after his knee injury in January of 2022. Gonzalez joins his high school teammate, [autotag]Anthony Speca[/autotag], in the Nittany Lions’ 2024 recruiting class.

Gonzalez was getting recruited hard by Virginia Tech, who were in his final three schools. However, he felt he had built a connection with Penn State.

When speaking with Ryan Snyder of On3 about his decision, Gonzalez said, “Honestly, through the ups and downs, they’ve been pretty consistent. They were one of the first schools to offer me and Coach Smith has been consistent the whole way.”

Gonzalez also added, “They’ve been very honest with my family, which we value a lot. After everything I’ve been through and everything I’ve done, I feel like I’ve truly earned my spot there. I feel like I earned the respect of the people there, which makes it feel like home.”

Coach Hagans also played a major role in the decision.

He told Snyder, “At camp, I was able to be coached by him and I feel like his style fits me well. I can tell based on his past work that he knows how to develop receivers and really be a coach. Some guys want players who can do it all already. He’s someone who can develop you into a better player.”

Hagans now has his second Pennsylvania wide receiver commitment in his first recruiting cycle.

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Crystal ball predicts Penn State will land a second WR in 2024 class

Recruiting experts are predicting another wide receiver joining Penn State’s Class of 2024 soon.

Penn State finally got their first wide receiver commit in the 2024 recruiting class on Wednesday after Philadelphia native [autotag]Tyseer Denmark[/autotag] announced his commitment to the Nittany Lions.

Twitter reactions were out in full force after [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] was able to flip the coveted prospect from Oregon to Penn State. Denmark is the first wide receiver to commit to the Nittany Lions under new wide receivers coach [autotag]Marques Hagans[/autotag].

247Sports’ Crystal Ball is predicting that was just the start for Penn State with wide receivers in the 2024 class.

Three recruiting analysts are predicting Penn State will land another instate wide receiver in Peter Gonzalez. The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native is down to a decision between the Nittany Lions and Virginia Tech.

Gonzalez is a 6’2″ 200 pound receiver prospect who is a consensus three-star. On3’s industry rankings have him as the 157th best wide receiver in the class and the number 29 player in Pennsylvania.

After taking his official visit to Penn State on June 16th, the Nittany Lions came out of that weekend firmly in the driver’s seat to land Gonzalez.

Brian Dohn, 247Sports’ National Recruiting Analyst, has gotten all 48 of his predicitions in the 2024 class correct. Virginia Tech Insider, Evan G. Watkins, is 11 for 11 on his picks in the 2024 class. Both of these insiders have logged their predictions that Gonzalez will commit to Penn State.

After a slow start landing wide receivers, it looks like coach Franklin and his staff will now have two commitments. Both happen to be from the state of Pennsylvania as well.

Gonzalez is expected to formally announce his commitment on Friday, June 23rd at 7pm Eastern Time.

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Penn State prepares for monster official visits this weekend

Penn State is gearing up for another massive weekend of recruiting visits

June has been a busy month for schools across the nation. It’s the first time that members in the class of 2024 are able to take their official visits to football programs they are interested in attending.

It’s been an especially busy time for Penn State as they try to solidify and add to their top 10 recruiting class. The first weekend in June resulted in multiple commitments from players high on their target list. The second weekend was full of players who had already verbally committed with some officially enrolling in school.

This weekend will be different.

Eight players are taking their official visits to State College and none of them are committed to Penn State or any other school.

It’s also a big weekend for new defensive line coach, [autotag]Deion Barnes[/autotag]. Only one defensive lineman has committed out of the 2024 recruiting class so far after [autotag]Xavier Gilliam[/autotag] announced his commitment on June 4th.

That could change in a major way this weekend. Three out of the eight prospects visiting are defensive lineman. Two are four-star prospects and one is a three-star.

On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has Penn State favored to land 6’5″ 240 pound Benedict Umeh and 6’3″ 255 pound DeAndre Cook. Umeh is a four-star prospect and Cook is a three-star.

T.A. Cunningham was a late addition to this official visit weekend. He’s a 6’6″ 275-pound prospect from Georgia who plays his high school football in Miami, Florida. The Miami Hurricanes are the major favorites to land Cunningham according to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine, meaning Penn State will have a lot of work to do this weekend.

Wide receiver is another position that needs some work in the 2024 class. There are currently zero commitments for new receivers coach [autotag]Marques Hagans[/autotag]. However, three-star wide receiver Peter Gonzalez is taking his official visit.

Penn State is ba ig favorite to land Gonzalez according to On3 with an 88.3% chance. Gonzalez is a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native who is 6’2″ and 200 pounds. He has a visit scheduled with Virginia Tech the weekend after he comes to State College.

Overall, six out of the eight players visiting this weekend are four-star players. On3 doesn’t have Penn State very likely to land the majority of the players who are visiting this weekend.

Official visits are a way to turn the tide so this could be the biggest weekend during the month of June in order to bolster the 2024 recruiting class.

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