New Penn State RPM pick logged, Nittany Lions trending with multiple players following official visits

Penn State’s first official visit weekend for the Class of 2024 will wrap up later Sunday morning. Head coach James Franklin and his staff hosted 13 prospects total this weekend, and there’s been no shortage of buzz surrounding those players over the past 48 hours.

As Blue White Illustrated reported on Friday, safety DeJuan Lane should be considered a heavy Penn State lean coming out of this weekend. It’s unclear if he plans to make a commitment sometime today or tomorrow, although it’s also believed that he doesn’t have any other official visits lined up. Keep an eye on the safety prospect out of Baltimore. He’s one of Penn State’s most important prospects at the position.

Since then, there have been two other players who have been repeatedly mentioned in conversations with sources. One of them shouldn’t be a surprise, as Maryland defensive lineman Xavier Gilliam has long been considered a lean towards the Nittany Lions. I logged a prediction for Gilliam to end up at Penn State back in April and at no point has the player or staff waivered in that recruitment. BWI’s Sean Fitz has since joined me, logging a pick for the Nittany Lions Saturday evening.

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Gilliam currently has official visits set to Duke, N.C. State, Virginia Tech. It’s unclear if he plans to still take those visits, but either way, the Nittany Lions are firmly the team to beat coming out of this recruitment. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s officially part of the class in the next 24 hours.

“[Xavier] is a dynamic athlete that has an incredible presence around the line of scrimmage,” said Wilde Lake head coach Brian Henderson, who also happens to be a Penn State alum. “He is being looked at as a hybrid pass defender that can put his hand in the ground or a stand-up rush end from the boundary. [Gilliam is] explosive, strong, and very intelligent. One of the best pass rushers and can change direction with a drop of a dime. His best asset is how coachable he is. This young man has not reached his potential.”

Penn State also appears to be closing in on another offensive lineman.

Jacksonville, Fla., native Deryc Plazz visited State College for the first time this weekend. The 6-foot-4, 280-pound tackle prospect only earned an offer from the Nittany Lions about two months ago, but it sounds as if there’s a real chance he could be committed in the near future, too.

Plazz, who plays at Andrew Jackson High School, has official visits lined up to Duke, Miami and N.C. State for the remaining three weekends. But just like with Gilliam, we wouldn’t be surprised if he’s officially a Nittany Lion in the 24 to 48 hours.

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