Trio from Penn State’s Class of 2022 named semifinalists for Maxwell award

Will this year’s Maxwell Football Club high school offensive player of the year be a Penn State recruit?

Penn State is preparing to sign one of the best recruiting classes in program history beginning in just a matter of weeks. The early signing period is two weeks away, and Penn State continues to be ranked among the best in the nation with its projected Class of 2022. And it is possible Penn State could have one of the offensive players of the year in high school about to make their way to Happy Valley next year.

The Maxwell Football Club released its list of 16 semifinalists for its Maxwell Football Club High School Offensive Player of the Year, and three commits to the Nittany Lions made the cut. Quarterback Drew Allar and running backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton all were named semifinalists for the national award. Singleton was the only player from Pennsylvania to be listed.

It would certainly be a great thing to see a future Penn State player taking home this high honor among some of the nation’s best high school players. But having three players named semifinalists is still a good way to support the idea that Penn State is closing in on signing an exciting class. A number of players in Penn State’s Class of 2022 look to be key players on the team in the years to come, some perhaps as early as next year.

Allar is perhaps one of the most notable names to watch in the Class of 2022. The long-time verbal commitment to James Franklin and Penn State has never backed away from his enthusiasm about joining the program, and some feel he could get to work for a push for some playing time as early as next season. The recent performance by Christian Veilleux may have thrown a wrench in that idea for some, but Allar is among the highest-rated players in the country on the recruiting services and it is not expected he will be coming to Penn State to stay on the sideline for too long.

Having two running backs make the semifinalist cut is an encouraging sign as well after this past season. Penn State failed to have a player rush for 100 yards in a game this season (although Franklin will remind you there is still one more game to play), although a good portion of the blame can fall on the offensive line’s inability to create space for running backs at times. Penn State has recruited talented running backs over the course of Franklin’s time at Penn State, and the commitments of Singleton and Allen will keep that trend going.

Let’s take a look at some highlights of these three in action this season…

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