Ask Around: Biggest storyline for Penn State’s recruiting weekend?
Penn State will host one of the nation’s premier visitor lists when Michigan comes to town on Saturday. Over the years, BWI’s Sean Fitz and Ryan Snyder have seen plenty of big visit weekends in Happy Valley, but what stands out the most this week?
They give their thoughts in our latest ‘Ask Around.’
Q: What’s the biggest storyline for PSU’s recruiting weekend?
Sean Fitz: To me, the biggest storyline heading into the weekend on the recruiting trail surrounds the quarterbacks that the Nittany Lions will have on campus. So far we’ve confirmed that Class of 2025 offerees Malik Washington, Ryan Montgomery and Matt Zollers will be on hand. Even if no more confirmations come in, that’s still three of Penn State’s top five or six quarterback targets in the next cycle.
Given how things have played out in the Class of 2025 so far among signal-callers, things are moving along quite well at the position so far for the Nittany Lions. Fourteen of the top 25 quarterbacks in the On3 Industry Rankings in the next cycle are already committed, which means programs like Clemson, Notre Dame and Ohio State, among others, already have their man secured.
It’s a great opportunity for Penn State to establish its standing with a few of the top available throwers in the next cycle. I’m not sure that the Nittany Lions will get a commitment from a quarterback this weekend, but it’s shaping up like one of these guys could be the one in the 2025 class.
Link: Penn State QB Drew Allar talks Michigan game, confidence after Maryland
Ryan Snyder: The quarterbacks are a great place to start. We talked about it on the message board this week and on our YouTube show earlier today. How that plays out has become one of the most intriguing storylines of the Class of 2025 to me, especially now that Zollers has an offer.
Sean hit on all the key points, so I’ll switch my focus to Penn State’s first official visitor since June in offensive lineman Andrew Dennis. I wrote up my thoughts on Dennis back on Monday, and honestly, not much has really changed. However, we did learn some additional information Wednesday from Sam Spiegelman. In addition to our reporting, which is that Dennis would take an official visit to Clemson next weekend, Spiegelman confirmed that he’s also tentatively set to see Illinois (Nov. 25-27) and Purdue (Dec. 2-4).
I also think there’s a good chance Dennis will grab a few more offers with the early signing period still 40 days out. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he added two more officials for Dec. 9-11 and Dec. 16-18 now that official visits are unlimited.
With a commitment set to come at the All-American Bowl, this is also setting up to be one of those announcements where he’ll likely still sign Dec. 20, yet it won’t be announced for another two weeks or so. Those are always fun.
As of now, I do think Penn State sits in a good position, although I am curious on your thoughts, Sean. From what I understand, Dennis is a Big Ten kid. He makes a lot of sense to end up at Penn State, but I do think we have to keep an eye on Clemson here. Dabo and his staff have Dennis’ attention.
Column: PSU headspace critical for coaches, player, and fans as Michigan looms
Fitz: I wouldn’t be shocked if Dennis ends up as a silent somewhere – not necessarily Penn State – and signs in the first signing period before announcing in January. Just a hunch there. The Nittany Lions are in good shape on the offensive line but they’re still keeping their eyes peeled for more bodies.
Looking back at the list, there are a lot of guys that make sense for the Nittany Lions. That doesn’t necessarily mean we’re putting guys on commit watch this weekend, but some of the same names keep popping up for visits. Greater Latrobe linebacker Alex Tatsch is taking in his third game this year. Wide receiver Lex Cyrus is back, as well as potential five-star defensive lineman Trent Wilson. When you take a look back at the cycle in a few months, they all make sense for the Nittany Lions.
Finally, the more I talk to people, the more I get the sense that Penn State is giving Western PA defensive lineman Demetrius Ballard a legitimate look. They’re nothing if not intrigued, and even though that could very well be a situation that we don’t hear about after this weekend, it’s one I’ll be watching on Saturday.
Predictions: What should Penn State fans expect against the Wolverines?
Snyder: I think there are a few guys visiting this weekend that could earn offers from Penn State at some point. I brought up defensive lineman Haleem Muhammad a few times this week. He’s only played football for two years now. When you consider that, his film was pretty solid this year. Keep an eye on him.
Indiana tight end Brock Schott also confirmed just today that he’ll visit for the first time this weekend. I’m still learning more about him, but considering On3 Scouting Director Charles Power has him as a Top 100 prospect, he’s certainly someone that makes sense for an offer.
When I go back and look at last year’s list of visitors for the Ohio State game – which also started at Noon ET – you’ll find Lex Cyrus, Adam Shovlin and Cole Sullivan as a few notable players who didn’t hold an offer at the time but have since emerged as coveted prospects. There’s certainly going to be a few of those players when we look back on this list in the spring and summer.
I’ll finish up with just the outright size of this list. We’re over 80 prospects and counting now. Last year, PSU hosted about 60 or so players who were true Division I prospects for its Noon start against the Buckeyes. If this list holds true – I think it could still see some additions – it’s setting up to outpace last year’s list by a decent margin.
Noon kicks are never easy in State College, and I do think some of these players will ultimately not show because of it, but overall, the staff has put together an impressive list here when you consider both the early start and high school playoffs.
The list is genuinely bigger than I expected it to be.
The post Ask Around: Biggest storyline for Penn State’s recruiting weekend? appeared first on On3.
