Penn State gets another speedy receiver in Josiah Brown: Commitment impact
Penn State has added another receiver in the Class of 2024. The Lions landed four-star Josiah Brown out of Hicksville, N.Y., on Friday night. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound recruit picked head coach James Franklin’s program over Rutgers and Georgia. But, he only took official visits to see the Nittany Lions and Scarlet Knights, which makes them his true finalists. PSU, of course, won out in the end.
Despite its change in receivers coaches from Taylor Stubblefield to Marques Hagans in January, Brown has long been a top target. The Lions offered him in the winter of 2022 and continued to push for him. Hagans came on board and quickly created a bond with a player the On3 Industry Rankings calls the top player in the Empire State. It paid off in the end.
“He’s a standup guy,” Brown told BWI. “I never felt like our talks were just about recruiting or just about football. He took me in like I was his son. I feel like the bond we have is very authentic. He’s a great guy and a great coach also.”
He added on Lions head coach James Franklin:
“Like Coach Hagans, [Coach Franklin] has a great personality. He was giving me some life lessons. But also, Coach Franklin is just a fun guy. He’s funny, but he has a good mix of that and being serious when it’s time to be serious. He showed my family a lot of love. I have nothing but respect for him.”
Brown is the No. 252 player in the On3 Industry Rankings. He is the No. 11 athlete thanks to his two-way abilities as a receiver and safety for Holy Trinity Diocesan, and the top player in New York.
What is Penn State getting in Josiah Brown?
Brown is a speedster. He ran a 10.75 100-meter dash this spring and could play in the slot or at the ‘Z’ receiver spot in Penn State’s offense.
“Despite leaning towards the “track athlete” profile to start, Brown is anything but that,” BWI film analyst Thomas Frank Carr says. “He’s a football player with toughness, tenacity, and grit. Brown is everything you want in a prospect. He’s very fast and has the best skills in both sports.
While Bown doesn’t have elite-size traits like the rest of the prospects that Penn State is fighting for this summer, he has no observable holes in his game. When you combine that with a good frame and great speed, it’s clear that he’s a priority target for the team.”
Brown was indeed a priority target. And, now, he’s a Nittany Lion.
Class of 2024 breakdown
First, here’s the commitment rundown for the Penn State Class of 2024:
June 23, 2023 – Hicksville, N.Y., four-star Josiah Brown.
June 23, 2023 — Pittsburgh, Pa., three-star Peter Gonzalez.
Jun. 21, 2023 — Philadelphia four-star receiver Tyseer Denmark.
June 11, 2023 — Irvington, N.J., four-star safety Vaboue Toure.
Jun. 4, 2023 — Baltimore, Md., four-star safety Dejuan Lane.
June 4, 2023 — Columbia, Md., three-star defensive lineman Xavier Gillman
Jun. 4, 2023 — Jacksonville, Fla., 3-star defensive tackle Deryc Plazz. He decommitted on June 15.
May 20, 2023 — Lewis Center, Ohio 3-star quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer.
April 28, 2023 — Waukesha, Wisc., 4-star running back Corey Smith.
Apr. 25, 2023 — Cornelius, N.C., 3-star tackle Eagan Boyer.
Apr. 24, 2023 — Hartland, Wisc., 3-star tackle Garrett Sexton.
April 18, 2023 — Waukesha, Wisc., 4-star offensive lineman Donovan Harbour.
April 15, 2023 — Reading, Pa., 3-star athlete Caleb Brewer.
Apr. 10, 2023 — Jacksonville, Fla., 3-star cornerback Antoine Belgrave-Shorter.
April 7, 2023 – Pittsburgh, Pa., 4-star running back Quinton Martin.
April 1, 2023 – Jacksonville, Fla., 3-star cornerback Jon Mitchell.
March 25, 2023 – Westford, Mass., 3-star tight end Luke Reynolds
March 3, 2023 – Philadelphia, Pa., 3-star cornerback Kenny Woseley Jr.
Feb. 28, 2023 — Bloomfield Hills, Mich., 3-star linebacker Kari Jackson
Jan. 17, 2023 — Pittsburgh, Pa., 4-star linebacker Anthony Speca
Jan. 29, 2022 — Erie, Pa., 4-star interior offensive lineman Cooper Cousins
Here’s how the Penn State class breaks down by state:
Pennsylvania – 7
Wisconsin – 3
Florida – 2
Maryland – 2
Michigan – 1
Massachusetts – 1
North Carolina – 1
Ohio – 1
New Jersey – 1
New York – 1
Here’s how it breaks down by position:
Offensive lineman – 3
Cornerback – 3
Receiver – 3
Running back – 2
Linebacker – 2
Safety – 2
Quarterback – 1
Tight end – 1
Athlete – 1
Defensive end – 1
Defensive tackle – 1
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