Penn State Recruiting: 2023 big board and top targets
0Penn State football wrapped up the Class of 2022 earlier this week so it's on to the next cycle. That's not just true for the Nittany Lions, but also Blue White Illustrated recruiting insider Ryan Snyder and the rest of the recruiting world as well. He joins host Thomas Frank Carr to give you Penn State's top targets at each position in the upcoming Class of 2023.
They start, as you always should, at the quarterback position. So what's the update with the Nittany Lions' efforts to land their top target, Dante Moore, out of Martin Luther King high school in Detroit? Why are they offering more quarterbacks like Florida prospect Marcus Stokes? Snyder gives his impressions on offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich's efforts to find his next signal-caller.
After that, they dip into the equally murky waters of running back for 2023. Is Treyaun Webb the most likely candidate to land in Happy Valley? Can JaJuan Seider work his magic in Florida and get the four-star runner to Pennsylvania? Or will more players emerge and this list expand? Bauer and T-Frank discuss the state of this position before moving on to tight a much clearer position.
Receiver has an apparent leader for the Nittany Lions in four-star wideout from the Pittsburgh area, Rodney Gallagher. How many players can Penn State take in this cycle? Snyder gives his thoughts on four-star prospects Noah Rogers, Ejani Shakir, and local Dallastown product Kenny Johnson.
Tight end is another set position for Penn State after the commitments of Exeter Township's Joey Schlaffer and four-star prospect Neeo Avery from Good Counsel. It's also the position that's had the most change, with players like Mathias Barnwell likely switching positions and Avery showing great promise as a defensive end. So could Penn State add another player here? Snyder gives his thoughts.
The offensive line is not as set as the tight end but already has three committed prospects. Penn State has already secured commitments from two interior players in high four-star talent Alex Birchmeier, Trinity Christian guard Josh Miller and tackle/guard prospect Anthony Donkoh from Alide, VA
So, as always, who are the tackle prospects? Snyder mentions several, including national candidates like Luke Montgomery and Chase Bisontis, but Gonzaga's four-star tackle Evan Link is his top target. He explains why. He also brings up several other important players like Thayer Academy's Samson Okunlola but has reservations about where they stand at the moment.
The defensive line is chocked with talent, so T-Frank and Snyder start at edge defender and work inside. Five-star edge rusher Nyckoles Harbor leads the list but is joined by his teammate at Archbishop Carrol, Joseph Mupoyi. It's a deep list that includes Top 250 players David Ojiegbe, Dylan Gooden and Desmond Umeozulu. But the list also includes under-the-radar candidates Mason Robinson, and Michael Kilbane. Snyder gives viewers a sense of their possibility, interest level in Penn State and vice versa.
The defensive line is not short on talent as we switch to defensive tackle. Penn State already has athlete Mathias Barnwell verbally committed, and the 6-6 athlete prospect recently told Snyder that he'd like to play tackle. Throw on top of that Dematha Catholic standout Jason Moore. The list is already strong before getting to four-star prospects Jason Moore, Derrick LeBlanc, Will Norman, John Walker, Joel Starlings, Justin Benton, and Sydir Mitchell. How many can the Nittany Lions take? How many will they want to take? Snyder gives his thoughts about the group.
After that, they check out the back seven including highlights at linebacker, corner and safery.
Finally, T-Frank and Snyder wrap up the show discussing the most important players and positions mentioned that are "can't miss" players for Penn State in this cycle.
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