Tag: owen aliciene

Penn State’s Class of 2025 is perfectly balanced, as all things should be

Penn State has signed its Class of 2025, and it’s a solid class.

Penn State may be preparing for the Big Ten championship game this week, but Wednesday was a cause to pause and celebrate the future of the program beyond this season. Wednesday marked the beginning of the early signing period in college football, and Penn State officially inked 26 members for its Class of 2026. With a recruiting class split evenly with 13 offensive players and 13 defensive players, James Franklin and his staff have managed to pull in a balanced class that will continue to sustain what the entire staff has been working to build for the next few seasons.

More than half of this recruiting class is scheduled to enroll early in January. Penn State announced 14 members of its Class of 2025 will be early enrollees, which will allow them to go through offseason workouts and conditioning and participate in spring football practices.

This recruiting class will be one of Franklin’s best overall classes at Penn State as well. A total of 23 of the 26 commits were ranked as a four-star or five-star player by On3, 247Sports, Rivals, or ESPN. The class also spread the Penn State footprint into 10 different states, including 19 from Pennsylvania or a neighboring state.

Among the top-rated recruits in the Class of 2025 are interior offensive lineman [autotag]Malachi Goodman[/autotag] from New Jersey, cornerback [autotag]Daryus Dixson[/autotag] from California, and linebacker [autotag]LaVar Arrington Jr.[/autotag] (yes, THAT LaVar Arrington).

Here is a full list of Penn State’s Class of 2025 that has been signed during the early signing period:

  • DL [autotag]Randy Adirika[/autotag] (Miami, Fla.)
  • OL [autotag]Owen Aliciene[/autotag] (Cheshire, Conn.)
  • LB [autotag]LaVar Arrington Jr.[/autotag] (Annapolis, Md.)
  • DL [autotag]Dayshaun Burnett[/autotag] (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
  • DL [autotag]Chaz Coleman[/autotag] (Warren, Ohio)
  • RB [autotag]Jabree Coleman[/autotag] (Darby Township, Pa.)
  • WR [autotag]Jeff Exinor Jr.[/autotag] (Baltimore, Md.)
  • OL [autotag]Malachi Goodman[/autotag] (Bloomfield, N.J.)
  • DL [autotag]Cortez Harris[/autotag] (Largo, Md.)
  • RB [autotag]Tikey Hayes[/autotag] (Aliquippa, Pa.)
  • TE [autotag]Matt Henderson[/autotag] (Powhatan, Va.)
  • WR [autotag]Koby Howard[/autotag] (Pensacola, Fla.)
  • DB [autotag]Joshua Johnson[/autotag] (Ironton, Ohio)
  • DB [autotag]Jahmir Joseph[/autotag] (Nyack, N.Y.)
  • DL [autotag]Yvan Kemajou[/autotag] (Burtonsville, Md.)
  • TE [autotag]Brian Kortovich[/autotag] (Willoughby, Ohio)
  • QB [autotag]Bekkem Kritza[/autotag] (Chandler, Ariz.)
  • OL [autotag]Brady O’Hara[/autotag] (Mars, Pa.)
  • WR [autotag]Matt Outten[/autotag] (Portsmouth, Va.)
  • WR [autotag]Lyrick Samuel[/autotag] (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
  • LB [autotag]Cam Smith[/autotag] (Salem, N.J.)
  • LB [autotag]Alex Tatsch[/autotag] (Latrobe, Pa.)
  • DB [autotag]Braz Thomas[/autotag] (Glassboro, N.J.)
  • DB [autotag]Xxavier Thomas[/autotag] (Canonsburg, Pa.)
  • OL [autotag]Michael Troutman III[/autotag] (Trenton, N.J.)

The focus will now shift to the transfer portal as Penn State’s offseason roster changes could be continuing in the coming weeks amidst its Big Ten and College Football Playoff push.

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Elite 2025 offensive lineman says Penn State ‘feels like family’

Penn State is sitting in a good spot for a key offensive line recruiting target in the Class of 2025.

With Penn State looking to fill out their 2025 recruiting class, there are still people on the offensive line [autotag]Phil Trautwein[/autotag] is targeting ahead of their commitment dates.

Following official visit season, some recruits are ready to announce their decisions after making up their minds while others are still deciding which direction they want to go for their collegiate careers.

[autotag]Malachi Goodman[/autotag] is in the latter camp.

The four-star offensive lineman is down to five schools and he took official visits to see all of them. USC was the last place he saw, and he is going to sit back and figure out what program he wants to join after discussions with his family and high school coaches.

Listed at 6-foot-5 and 315 pounds, he would be a major addition for Penn State as they currently sit with just two offensive line commits ([autotag]Owen Aliciene[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Troutman[/autotag]) despite thinking Bray O’Hara will eventually shift into being an offensive tackle.

Goodman would become their top-rated lineman as he is listed at No. 102 overall and 11th at his position.

It doesn’t sound like a decision will be coming from the big tackle anytime soon. He told Brian Dohn of 247Sports that he is targeting late-July or August for his announcement as that would give him time to think about his decision and where he wants to play. Development, education and stability are what he’s looking for in a school, and he had some glowing things to say about [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and Trautwein before saying the program feels like home and is family (subscription required).

To get this done, Penn State will have to beat out Georgia, Alabama, Auburn, and USC, all national brands with plenty to offer.

On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine lists the Nittany Lions as the favorite to land Goodman, but this is going to be a tough one to land.

Still, with the extended decision period, that should help Penn State continue to stand out for him as they continue to stay in contact and make sure he knows the Nittany Lions are a more-than-viable option.

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Four-star offensive lineman puts Penn State in his top six

Penn State is in some competition for a commitment as this four-star offensive lineman trims down his options.

Penn State continues to look at offensive line options in their 2025 class as they currently have just two commitments at that position group from [autotag]Owen Aliciene[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Troutman[/autotag].

They’ve done an incredible job at recruiting and developing offensive linemen since [autotag]Phil Trautwein[/autotag] joined the program in 2020.

The Nittany Lions picked up five offensive line commits in the 2024 class and also got transfer [autotag]Nolan Rucci[/autotag], so it’s unclear how many they are targeting in this cycle.

However, one player they’re interested in is four-star [autotag]Max Buchanan[/autotag].

The 6-foot-4, 270-pounder recently cut his list to six schools and included Penn State. Others he’s still considering are Florida State, Clemson, Miami, Ole Miss, and UCF.

The Florida native is coming out of an official visit to Ole Miss this past weekend.

According to Chad Simmons of On3, those will be a major factor in his decision making.

“What is going to separate a school for me will be based on how my visits go. I want to see how honest and truthful the people are at each school. Getting along with the players and the people on campus is so important to me. I will only be around the coaches when I am at the facility or practice, so I want to see how I get along with the players. That will be very big for me,” Buchanan said.

Penn State will be the last official visit he takes as he’s scheduled to come to Happy Valley on June 21.

This has been a recruit on the radar of [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and his staff for a while as they were the second school to offer him a scholarship and have maintained consistent contact with him throughout the process.

It may be a bit of an uphill battle, though.

On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine currently lists Penn State with the worst odds out of the six schools he’s considering with an 8.2% chance. Florida State are the leaders with a 22.7% chance.

Based on the amount of time that the coaching staff has put into this process, they’ll likely make a major push to land him prior to him taking his official visit in June.

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.

Elite 2025 four-star linebacker includes Penn State in Top-8

Penn State makes latest top schools cut for four-star defensive lineman in 2025.

Fresh of a junior day weekend full of visitors, Penn State continues to hit the recruiting trail hard in hopes of building their burgeoning class of 2025 that already ranks inside the Top-10.

They picked up a commitment from three-star offensive lineman [autotag]Owen Aliciene[/autotag], pushing their total up to eight in the class.

There’s still plenty of work to be done in this cycle as players will continue to get updated rankings as they go through different camps during the spring and summer.

This will allow [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and his staff to get a better idea of which prospects across the country can play at the Big Ten level for a team with championship aspirations.

One player who certainly fits that mold is four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Trent Wilson[/autotag].

The Maryland native is a 6’3″ 260-pound prospect who is rated as one of the best at his position.

Penn State got some good news when he included them in his Top-8 list.

Others who made the cut are Ohio State, Maryland, Texas A&M, Florida, Florida State, Oklahoma and Tennessee.

Wilson is a consensus four-star recruit and is listed as the 87th player in the country and ninth-best defensive line prospect according to On3’s industry rankings.

On3’s own recruiting team is much higher on the high school junior than other services, listing him as the 26th best player nationally and No. 4 defensive lineman.

This would be a huge get for the Nittany Lions and On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has them as the program with the best chance to land Wilson with a 34.3% chance.

He was one of the visitors during Penn State’s last junior day that started on Jan. 20.

The talented prospect has had great experiences with the coaching staff, telling Greg Pickel, “They have a lot of DMV guys and coaches up there … A couple times when I come on campus, the whole coaching staff is there just to meet me. And that meant a lot to me. They just show they really want me, and that means a lot to me.”

Wilson is looking to make a commitment in July according to Pickel, so this recruitment will be one to monitor over the next six months.

Where does Penn State’s Class of 2025 rank after eventful junior day weekend?

Penn State moved up in the recruiting rankings after a busy junior day weekend for the Class of 2025.

Penn State head coach James Franklin and his updated staff were busy this weekend. Penn State hosted a number of high school juniors for the latest junior day event on campus and that led to a number of players receiving scholarship offers to take home with them. It also yielded a new commitment to the Class of 2025 with the addition of offensive lineman [autotag]Owen Aliciene[/autotag] being the first offensive lineman in the recruiting class for the Nittany Lions.

The commitment of Aliciene also helped Penn State move up in the early Class of 2025 team rankings according to the updated numbers from 247Sports. Now with eight commitments in the Class of 2025, Penn State moved up from no. 8 to no. 6 in the updated class rankings from 247Sports. Penn State is second among Big Ten teams in the updated class rankings, trailing only Ohio State by one spot. Notre Dame holds the top spot in the rankings at the moment with 14 commits on board already. Wisconsin is the only other Big Ten team currently in the top 10 at the no. 10 spot, but it is still early in the Class of 2025 recruiting process.

The rankings from On3 look a little different as of Monday morning. Penn State is ranked no. 12 in the updated team rankings from On3, which are more of a cumulative ranking combining data from multiple outlets like 247Sports and Rivals. This ranking system has LSU on top for the Class of 205 with Ohio State sitting at no. 2 overall. Penn State is the third Big Ten program in the rankings with Oregon ahead of them at no. 4 in addition to the Buckeyes.

Like the rankings from 247Sports, Penn State is also considered a top-10 recruiting class at the moment according to the updated team rankings from Rivals. Rivals ranks Penn State at no. 7 in the Class of 2025 rankings as of Monday morning. Notre Dame claims the top spot for Rivals and Penn State is once again the second Big Ten team in the rankings behind Ohio State, which ranks no. 3 according to Rivals. Oregon is a third top-10 team from the Big Ten on the Rivals rankings at no. 10.

No matter which recruiting outlet you prefer, it is clear that Penn State is once again on track to put together a solid recruiting class in the Class of 2025.

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Class of 2025 three-star OL Owen Aliciene commits to Penn State

Penn State added to its Class of 2025 recruiting haul on a busy weekend on the recruiting trail. After hosting a number of recruits in the Class of 2025 for a junior day event, which resulted in a handful of scholarship offers being extended, Penn …

Penn State added to its Class of 2025 recruiting haul on a busy weekend on the recruiting trail. After hosting a number of recruits in the Class of 2025 for a junior day event, which resulted in a handful of scholarship offers being extended, Penn State wrapped up the weekend with a commitment for the next recruiting cycle. [autotag]Owen Aliciene[/autotag], a three-star offensive lineman from Connecticut, announced his commitment to the Nittany Lions on Sunday.

Aliciene shared the news of his Penn State commitment on his Instagram account. Aliciene measures 6′-7″ and 275 pounds and is rated as a three-star recruit by 247Sports and On3. He is the eighth player to commit in Penn State’s Class of 2025, a class that continues to hold a top-10 ranking according to 247Sports.

Aliciene is ranked as the no. 42 offensive tackle in the nation by 247Sports and no. 4 overall in the state of Connecticut. Penn State was one of a number of offers from power conference programs for Aliciene. Among the other offers on the table were Boston College and UConn as close-to-home options, fellow Big Ten schools Maryland, Michigan State, and Rutgers and programs from other conferences including Florida State, Pitt, Louisville, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt, just to name a few.

Penn State extended an offer to Aliciene last spring, and he has made multiple visits to Penn State’s campus, including this weekend for the junior day event. Aliciene is the first offensive lineman to commit to Penn State in the Class of 2025.

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MSU football offers 2025 3-star OT Owen Aliciene

MSU football has extended an offer to one of the top players from the state of Connecticut in the 2025 class

Michigan State football has extended an offer to one of the top players from the state of Connecticut in the 2025 class.

Owen Aliciene of Avon, Conn. announced last week that he’s received a scholarship offer from the Spartans. Aliciene is an offensive tackle in the 2025 class.

Aliciene ranks as the No. 38 offensive tackle and No. 482 overall prospect in 247Sports’ composite rankings for the 2025 class. He’s also listed as the No. 3 player from Connecticut.

Michigan State is one of more than 10 programs to extend an offer to Aliciene. Other notable programs that have handed him an offer are Florida State, Penn State, Texas A&M, Louisville, Duke, Maryland, Pitt and Kentucky.

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