Tag: penn state football recruiting

Recruiting predictions trending against Penn State for coveted DL target Trent Wilson

Penn State is fading in the rearview mirror for this four-star defensive lineman according to recruiting insiders.

Penn State may be considered one of the top four schools for a major recruiting target from Maryland, but the Nittany Lions appear to be trending in the wrong direction as the crystal ball predictions start to come in.

Trent Wilson, from Upper Marlboro, MD, is a four-star defensive lineman according to the various recruiting coverage outlets, and he is ranked as the no. 3 player overall in Maryland. Naturally, Penn State would be an interested school in obtaining his commitment, and Penn State has been active in his recruiting process. However, less than a week after unveiling his top four schools, there appears to be a favorite rising to the top as he nears a decision, and it’s not in Penn State’s favor.

Two crystal ball predictions have now been recorded on 247Sports, and each predicts Oklahoma to be the winner for a commitment of Wilson. One prediction comes from an Oklahoma recruiting insider and the other comes from a national recruiting analyst, giving the Sooners a pretty definitive edge in this process.

The On3 recruiting prediction machine currently calculates a 94.3% chance of Wilson going to Oklahoma with a few more predictions being recorded this past week. That percentage is up a few points since Wilson unveiled his top four teams.

This would be another tough blow for Penn State on the recruiting trail in the Class of 2024. This past week saw Penn State swing and miss on the top in-state quarterback in the Class of 2025, Matt Zollers. Penn State has already missed out on the top player in the state as well with edge rusher Zahir Mathis previously committing to Big Ten rival Ohio State. Penn State is still holding on to one fo the top-ranked recruiting classes in the Big Ten and the nation, and there are plenty of in-state recruiting targets still to be had for the Nittany Lions, but Penn State could use a bit of a reversal of fortune right now after a brief tough stretch of recruiting headlines.

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Matt Zollers says picking Missouri over Penn State ‘was pretty difficult’

Matt Zollers, the top quarterback recruit in Pennsylvania, says it was difficult not committing to Penn State.

Penn State was hoping for a big commitment in the Class of 2025 from one of the top players in the state on Thursday. Unfortunately for the Nittany Lions, the top quarterback in Pennsylvania has decided he will head to the SEC rather than suit up in blue and white in Happy Valley.

Matt Zollers, from Royersford, PA, announced his commitment to Missouri on Thursday. He chose the Tigers over offers from in-state powers Penn State and Pittsburgh, and his new SEC opponents, Georgia and Alabama.

“It was pretty difficult,” Zollers said when asked how challenging it was to ultimately pick Missouri over Penn State, according to Johnny McGonigal of PennLive, via X (formerly known as Twitter). “It’s intriguing to go to college only [two] hours away. But I fell back on what I look for most out of a school, and ultimately Missouri was my best fit.”

The decision by Zollers to pick Missouri was surprising to some, but the lack of crystal ball predictions favoring Penn State (or any other school) leading up to his commitment announcement suggested this was a pretty wide-open recruiting process with a lack of inside information to lean any one way.

For Penn State, the pursuit of two quarterbacks in the current recruiting cycle hit a massive speedbump from one of the top players in the state. Penn State does have a commitment from Bekkem Kritza, who is transferring high schools back to the Miami area for his senior season. Penn State will now have to shift its focus at quarterback in the current recruiting cycle after missing out on the top quarterback in its own backyard.

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Matt Zollers picks Missouri over Penn State

Penn State surprisingly missed out on the top in-state QB in the Class of 2025.

Arguably the most important commitment for the Penn State Nittany Lions in the class of 2025 was going to be announced on April 4 as they waited to hear where top in-state quarterback [autotag]Matt Zollers[/autotag] had decided to play his college football. With [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and his offensive staff looking to bring in two quarterbacks during this cycle, they were hoping to land the rising four-star recruit who is ranked as one of the top players in Pennsylvania.

Unfortunately for Penn State, he committed to Missouri.

After looking like the leaders in the clubhouse for a long time during his process, Zollers’ recruitment took a national turn as the likes of Georgia, Missouri, and Alabama were part of his final five schools.

“My connections at Missouri were just greater than they were anywhere else. This was a really tough decision for me to make. I ultimately decided this morning,” the talented quarterback told Chad Simmons of On3.

That statement is an eye opener for people who have been following this recruitment process considering he had taken around eight visits to Happy Valley and roughly three to Missouri.

The Tigers really popped onto his radar and made a late push to land him as one of the headliners of their class.

Penn State’s bottleneck at the position could have had something to do with his decision as well.

Incumbent starter [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] could come back for another season after this year, [autotag]Beau Pribula[/autotag] is still a factor alongside [autotag]Jaxon Smolik[/autotag], plus highly-rated [autotag]Ethan Grunkemeyer[/autotag] from the 2024 class is entering his freshman season.

Still, this is a tough one to swallow for Penn State fans as they lose out on the top-rated recruit in the state of Pennsylvania and someone who was at the top of their board.

Penn State hoping for commitment from Matt Zollers, the top-rated QB in PA

Could Penn State be on the verge of another major commitment in the Class of 2025 form one of the top in-state recruits?

Penn State is already off to a solid start with its efforts in the Class of 2025 recruiting cycle. Already with one of the nation’s and the Big Ten’s top-rated recruiting classes, the Nittany Lions are missing a commitment from one key position in 2025, and that hole could be filled this week.

Spring-Ford quarterback [autotag]Matt Zollers[/autotag], from Royersford, PA, is scheduled to announce his college decision on Thursday, April 4. A press conference is set for 3:00 p.m. ET, at which time Penn State will learn whether or not one of the top players in the state will be joining the Nittany Lions in 2025.

Zollers is rated as the no. 2 overall player in Pennsylvania. After missing out on a commitment from the top-rated recruit in the state (edge rusher Zahir Mathis committed to Ohio State), James Franklin and his staff would love to pick up the next highest-rated recruit at a position of need down the line. Zollers is expected to announce his decision between Penn State, Alabama, Georgia, Missouri, and Pittsburgh.

This recruitment appears to be pretty wide open with no crystal ball predictions currently on record on 247Sports. The On3 recruiting prediction machine gives Penn State the edge with a 47.5% chance of securing a commitment from Zollers, but there are no official predictions on record on the platform either.

Zollers visited Penn State’s campus this past weekend and checked out a spring football practice. He is also coming off a pair of unofficial visits to Georgia and Alabama this week. He also recently visited the other two finalists, Missouri and Pittsburgh. Zollers has made a number of other trips to Penn State since last summer, and the Nittany Lions could be the team to beat.

But with no insider predictions on the eve of the supposed commitment, it is all a guessing game.

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Five-star 2026 offensive lineman locks in visit with Penn State

Penn State has a visit on the books for a key Class of 2026 offensive line target.

Penn State is coming off a week full of top targets in the class of 2025, but there were also many from the future recruitment cycles taking a trip to Happy Valley as well.

With the focus still firmly on the 2025 class, that isn’t stopping the Nittany Lions from building relationships with the younger recruits to put themselves in a good spot for when they become the priority.

Players in the future classes have gotten some rankings by the major services, but it’s still early and things are bound to change as they play some more high-level football

But, it’s always eye catching and newsworthy when a five-star player is taking a trip to campus and that’s what Penn State has when offensive tackle [autotag]Immanuel Iheanacho[/autotag] heads to Happy Valley.

The Baltimore native is listed as the No. 3 overall recruit in the class of 2026 by On3.

Listed at 6’7″ and 330 pounds, the Nittany Lions initially offered him a scholarship back in February, and now that he’s been give the coveted five-star rating, his recruitment has really started to pick up with top programs across the country.

Still, Penn State finds themselves in a good spot early on.

Ryan Snyder of On3 notes that he’s started to develop a relationship with offensive line coach [autotag]Phil Trautwein[/autotag] who was the one who offered him the scholarship. Iheanacho looks at the development that DMV native Olu Fashanu had while at Penn State and views that as a positive. He also will be focusing on the academics of the school he chooses, putting the Nittany Lions in a good position (subscription required).

They’ll host him for his first trip to Happy Valley this upcoming weekend as [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and his staff look to continue building this relationship to stay at the top of his list.

Elite 2025 safety Jordan Young still considering Penn State

Penn State is going after one of the top safeties in the Class of 2025.

Penn State continues looking to build upon their strong showing so far in the class of 2025 and are coming out of a weekend where many of their top targets were on campus to witness spring practice in person.

At this time, many of the uncommitted recruits are still gathering information on different schools interested in them before planning out official visits for later in the summer.

While early commitments always garner attention and give fans and the coaching staff something they can tangibly see on paper, there are many players out there who won’t be choosing their college until later in the process.

That’s the case with four-star safety [autotag]Jordan Young[/autotag].

The North Carolina native is ranked as the 33rd-best player in the country and second overall at his position according to On3’s Industry Rankings.

According to Chad Simmons of On3, he’s also planning on announcing his commitment on Oct. 10. This will come after he visits Clemson, Florida State and Tennessee (which are already scheduled), but he also told the insider that he’s still considering Penn State amongst others (subscription required).

That interest could also lead to an official visit from Young this summer, but he also wants to take some trips to different campuses to get a feel for different atmospheres on gamedays.

For the Nittany Lions, this would be a huge get.

They only have one defensive back committed in the class currently, three-star cornerback [autotag]Xxavier Thomas[/autotag].

It will be interesting to see how this recruitment progresses since he’s yet to visit Happy Valley out of his 18 total trips he’s taken so far.

On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine currently has Clemson as the favorites to land Young with a 29.6% chance, followed by Tennessee at 17.4%.

Four-star defensive lineman has Penn State in his top four

Can Penn State come away with a four-star DL commitment out of Maryland before Ohio State or Oklahoma seize it?

Could Penn State be on the verge of a monster commitment from a four-star defensive lineman out of Maryland? That certainly would not be a shock given Penn State’s track record south of the Mason-Dixon Line and with defensive linemen, but the Nittany Lions may still be a bit of a long shot to land a commitment from Trent Wilson.

Wilson, a four-star defensive lineman from Upper Marlboro, MD, whittled his top schools list down to four, and Penn State is in what appears to be the final running. Penn State is up against Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Texas A&M for Wilson’s commitment. All four schools have official visits on the calendar (Wilson will visit Penn State on June 7, a week after visiting Ohio State and a week before he visits Oklahoma; Texas A&M will follow on June 21).

Of the four schools, Penn State has had the most visits made by Wilson, and more are on the way. In addition to his scheduled official visit in June, Wilson is expected to attend Penn State’s spring Blue-White Game on Saturday, April 13.

There are no crystal ball predictions currently on record with 247Sports. The On3 recruiting prediction machine currently calculates an 86.7% chance of Wilson going to Oklahoma with two notable predictions being recorded this week, although with a relatively medium level of confidence from each.

So when will Wilson be making his final decision? Given the current official visit schedule, it would appear a decision could come by the end of June or sometime in July. We’ll see how much Penn State can move the needle in the final stages of this recruiting battle.

Penn State’s Class of 2025 currently ranks fifth in the nation and second in the Big Ten behind Ohio State according to the most recent update to the 247Sports composite team rankings.

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Penn State has great first visit with elite 2026 cornerback

Penn State put in some early recruiting work on a Class of 2026 cornerback from North Carolina.

It’s never too early for programs across the country to start going after younger classes on the recruiting trail, and Penn State was able to host some targets during this past weekend.

The class of 2025 is going to get all the attention for the time being, especially since so many important recruits were on campus, but starting to develop relationships with 2026 players and beyond is a great starting point.

That’s what the Nittany Lions were able to do with one of the top cornerbacks in the class of 2026.

[autotag]Samari Matthews[/autotag] is a 6’0″, 180-pounder from North Carolina. 247Sports’ Composite Rankings have him ranked as the 34th overall player in his class and the No. 3 corner.

He took his first trip to Happy Valley over the weekend and told Tyler Calvaruso of 247Sports that he and his family enjoyed the experience on campus, with the program, and watching practice (subscription required).

Matthews was able to speak with all the coaching staff in person, but really was able to connect with [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and cornerbacks coach [autotag]Terry Smith[/autotag] who have been recruiting him since January 2023.

With him being able to watch practice to see how everything operates, he came away with a better understanding of the relationships that the coaching staff has with the players.

The recruitment process for the talented cornerback is extremely early, but it sounds like the Nittany Lions got off to a great start with Matthews.

He’s picked up offers from multiple teams across the Power Four conferences and is already planning on visiting more campuses and programs for the remainder of spring and summer.

Matthews is definitely someone to monitor as it looks like he’s one of the high-priority players in the class of 2026.

Penn State leaves elite offensive lineman with strong impression after visit

Penn State pulled out all the stops to impress this coveted offensive lineman recruiting target.

Penn State continues to go after some of the top offensive lineman in the country under [autotag]Phil Trautwein[/autotag] and they’ve been able to land some of them since he joined in 2020.

Getting stronger in the trenches was something that was clearly needed during the early tenure of [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag].

Having a better group of offensive lineman will help them achieve their ultimate goal of competing for a national championship and winning the expanded Big Ten conference.

In order to do that, recruitment is key.

The Nittany Lions welcomed in one of their top targets, [autotag]Ziyare Addision[/autotag], for a visit this past weekend.

The Florida native is 6’4″, 280-pound four-star recruit in the class of 2025, listed as the No. 14 offensive tackle in the country and 132nd overall recruit.

He came into the visit already viewing Penn State favorably after his trip last month, but Tyler Calvaruso of 247Sports reports that Addison left this visit completely blown away (subscription required).

The elite recruit said the visit was “electrifying” citing the recognition and hospitality he and his family received.

Addison was also able to speak with [autotag]Olu Fashanu[/autotag] who was at practice. The four-star said he picked the brain of the projected first round NFL draft pick, asking him about offensive line play, techniques, and what it’s like to play at Penn State.

Calvaruso also reported that Addison was impressed with how Trautwein coached his players and with Franklin overall. The importance that the program places on academics, athletics, and family values resonated with the Florida native.

He also believes that Penn State is on the verge of something special and said he thinks he could be an important piece to making sure that happens.

Addison will be back in Happy Valley for an official visit starting June 14, sandwiched in between trips to Clemson, Oregon, and Florida State.

Latest info from Penn State’s last visit with top QB target

Penn State hosted its top QB target this weekend. Now it’s time for a decision to be made.

It was a huge weekend in Happy Valley for Penn State as they welcomed a ton of visitors to campus to see the program and watch spring practice.

With many high-valued targets on their list attending over the weekend, there was one that stood out the most based upon the importance of that position and the profile he has within the state.

That player is quarterback [autotag]Matt Zollers[/autotag].

Listed as the No. 1 recruit in Pennsylvania, he also is ranked as the third-best QB in the country and the 17th overall player in his class according to On3.

This would be a huge get for the Nittany Lions after Zollers’ recruitment went national. His final four will be between Penn State, Georgia, Alabama, Missouri, and Pittsburgh and the announcement will come on April 4.

That’s why this was such an important visit for both parties.

It was the last time that [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and the offensive staff could put together a pitch with the recruit also getting to see how practices would work.

Zollers is visiting three schools in five days before making his decision, and his trip to Happy Valley was the first before he heads to Alabama and Georgia.

He spoke with Brian Dohn of 247Sports coming out of his visit this weekend and shared some insight into what took place and where Penn State stands following the trip (subscription required).

When asked what he wanted to see during this trip after already having visited six times previously, Zollers said he wanted to see what practice was like and how the communication was during meetings.

This was a great opportunity for these recruits to see how practice works, giving them an idea of what it’s like within the program.

Zollers also told Dohn that the coaching staff reiterated they want to coach him and want want him at Penn State.

With new offensive coordinator [autotag]Andy Kotelnicki[/autotag] inheriting the recruitment of the top prospect, developing a relationship is going to be paramount in this process.

Zollers said they discussed scheme and how he would fit into what Kotelnicki would run with him behind center, changing things to match what the quarterback’s strengths and weaknesses are.

Lastly, Dohn asked Zollers about his relationship with Franklin. The recruit said he likes the coach and has times where they communicate without discussing football.

Zollers will finish up his visits before ultimately making up his mind about which school he will attend and announce his decision on April 4.