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

Jon Sauber
·4 min read
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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.