Recruiting update: Penn State builds on the defensive line with July commitments

AUGUST 01, 2023 10:21 AM It was a relatively quiet month of recruiting for Penn State, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be impactful in the long run. The Nittany Lions added multiple big-time recruits to their 2024 class, bringing them to 24 total commitments. Let’s take a look at the two players the Nittany Lions earned commitments from, and where the class stands in the Big Ten and nationally.

Note: All rankings are based on the 247Sports Composite team and player rankings. COMMITTED PRIOR TO JULY 2024 ATH Quinton Martin (Belle Vernon, Pa. ) — 4-star, No.

1 in Pennsylvania, No. 42 nationally TE Luke Reynolds (Cheshire, Conn. ) — 4-star, No.

2 in Connecticut, No. 131 nationally OL Cooper Cousins (Erie, Pa. ) — 4-star, No.

2 in Pennsylvania, No. 154 nationally QB Ethan Grunkemeyer (Lewis Center, Ohio) — 4-star, No. 7 in Ohio, No.

185 nationally CB Jon Mitchell (Jacksonville, Fla. ) — 4-star, No. 29 in Florida, No.

200 nationally OL Donovan Harbour (Waukesha, Wisc. ) — 4-star No. 2 in Wisconsin, No.

203 nationally RB Corey Smith (Waukesha, Wisc. ) — 4-star, No. 3 in Wisconsin, No.

254 nationally ATH Josiah Brown (Hicksville, N. Y. ) — 4-star, No.

1 in New York, No. 269 nationally S Dejuan Lane (Baltimore, Md. ) — 4-star, No.

9 in Maryland, No. 286 nationally OL Garrett Sexton (Hartland, Wisc. ) — 4-star, No.

4 in Wisconsin, No. 289 nationally S Vaboue Toure (Irvington, N. J.

) — 4-star, No. 4 in New Jersey, No. 300 nationally WR Tyseer Denmark (Philadelphia, Pa.

) — 4-star, No. 6 in Pennsylvania, No. 309 nationally LB Anthony Speca (Pittsburgh, Pa.

) — 4-star, No. 10 in Pennsylvania, No. 421 nationally CB Kenneth Woseley (Philadelphia, Pa.

) — 3-star, No. 13 in Pennsylvania, No. 488 nationally LB Kari Jackson (West Bloomfield, Mich.

) — 3-star, No. 11 in Michigan, No. 506 nationally ATH Caleb Brewer (Reading, Pa.

) — 3-star, No. 17 in Pennsylvania, No. 579 nationally CB Antoine Belgrave-Shorter (Jacksonville, Fla.

) — 3-star, No. 91 in Florida, No. 654 nationally OL Eagan Boyer (Cornelius, N.

C. ) — 3-star, No. 20 in North Carolina, No.

654 nationally EDGE Xavier Gilliam (Columbia, Md. ) — 3-star, No. 21 in Maryland, No.

912 nationally DL De’Andre Cook (Washington D. C) — 3-star, No. 6 in District of Columbia, No.

984 nationally WR Peter Gonzalez (Pittsburgh, Pa. ) — 3-star, No. 27 in Pennsylvania, No.

984 nationally 2025 OT Jaelynne Matthews (Toms River, N. J. ) — 4-star, No.

1 in New Jersey, No. 69 nationally RB Kiendrea Barker (The Woodlands, Texas) — 4-star, No. 38 in Texas, No.

237 nationally S Omari Gaines (Newark, N. J. ) — 3-star, No.

11 in New Jersey, No. 371 nationally ADDITIONS 2024 DL Liam Andrews (Brookline, Mass. ) — 4-star, No.

2 in Massachusetts, No. 92 nationally DL T. A.

Cunningham (Miami, Fla. ) — 4-star, No. 34 in Florida, No.

234 nationally EDGE Mylachi Williams (Drexel Hill, Pa. ) 4-star, No. 3 in Pennsylvania, No.

242 nationally 2025 None Notes: Penn State picked up some big additions on the defensive line this month, with none bigger than Andrews. The 6-foot-5, 260-pound lineman should be a defensive tackle in the long run — one of the most difficult positions to recruit in high school football. Getting a top 100 talent at that spot will hold even more value than his already high recruiting ranking indicates.

Cunningham is another potential defensive tackle in the long run at 6-foot-6, 275 pounds. He and Andrews have the upside to form a powerful interior duo. Williams is a high upside prospect who could continue to rise up the rankings.

He’ll need to get much stronger at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, but he’s still a tantalizing player as a potential edge rusher. SUBTRACTIONS None Notes: Nothing happened on this front in July, although a decommit from June, Deryc Plazz, did commit to Miami. RANKINGS NCAA — No.

5 Big Ten — No. 3 behind Michigan (No. 4 nationally) and Ohio State (No.

2 nationally) Notes: Penn State is still third in the Big Ten with Ohio State and Michigan holding steady at first and second in the conference, respectively. For the second month in a row, the Nittany Lions hopped up one spot nationally, making this one of the top five recruiting classes in the country. While it may lack true five-star talent, it has depth and quality at key positions.

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