The ‘S’ Zone

Penn State’s first big official visit weekend has already gotten underway, as a few visitors have started to trickle in for their time in Happy Valley. The Nittany Lions, who typically use this first weekend as a test run for their recruiting staff, will hit the ground running with 13 official visitors starting on Friday.

Here’s our latest look at the list.

Visitors at Penn State this weekend

Kari Jackson – LB – Bloomfield Hills (Mich.) West Bloomfield (Penn State commit)
Liam Andrews – OL/DL – Brookline (Mass.) Dexter School
Deryc Plazz – OT – Jacksonville (Fla.) Andrew Jackson
Tye Hylton – OT – Oviedo (Fla.)
Chance Robinson – WR – Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas (Miami commit)
Jaylan Hornsby – WR – Camden (N.J.) Winslow Township
Jaylen Harvey – DE – Gaithersburg (Md.) Quince Orchard
Deyvid Palepale – DT – Landisville (Pa.) Hempfield
Xavier Gilliam – DT – Columbia (Md.) Wilde Lake
Amaris Williams – DL – Clinton (N.C.)
Chris Cole – LB – Salem (Va.)
Sione Laulea – CB – San Mateo (Calif.) College of San Mateo
Dejuan Lane – Saf. – Baltimore (Md.) Gilman

Commit watch this early?

The Catch 22 on having so many visitors on the first weekend of June is that most of these guys have other visits coming up in the next few weeks. Naturally, that means the expectation level of a weekend with multiple commitments remains low. Still, Penn State is positioned well for a few going in.

The three that keep jumping out as potential guys to watch this weekend aren’t really surprises for the most part. We’ve been watching Jaylen Harvey for a long time and not much has changed in that regard. To his credit, he has stuck to his plan of taking more visits this summer. Even so, he’s comfortable and those in the building wouldn’t be shocked if this was the weekend that it happened, even if it’s in a private manner. He’s one we’ll be watching for sure.

Another is New Jersey wide receiver Jaylan Hornsby. The staff likes Hornsby, but they want to see how he fits in around the other guys in the program for a weekend. If things go well in that regard, he’s been pointed to as one to watch. He has visits planned to Syracuse and Texas A&M this month. Rutgers is involved as well.

The third may be a bit of a surprise given how little we’ve heard on his recruitment, but we’re keeping an eye on Baltimore safety Dejuan Lane. He hasn’t given the staff an indication that he’s ready to end his recruitment, but the Nittany Lions seem to be in prime position heading into the summer. Holding off on a pick for now, but Lane is one to watch for the staff this weekend.

More notes on Penn State official visitors

– I’ve been beating the drum that Liam Andrews is Penn State’s most important (and potentially most talented) target on campus this weekend and I’ll stand by that. I also think the Nittany Lions are in a very good spot entering official visit season. I’m not quite there on an On3 RPM for Andrews yet, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t thought about it. I think Florida and Wisconsin are the serious threats here and he’ll almost certainly take those official visits, but Penn State is very appealing to Andrews right now.

– Wide receiver Chance Robinson is committed to Miami, and the odds are that he still ends up down south. That’s fine, but the fact that he’s even taking this trip and that Ja’Juan Seider and crew are making him think (harder than most would imagine) is a testament to the job the Nittany Lions have done recruiting him. He’s been a top target at wideout for a long time and Penn State will give him more to think about this weekend. I don’t expect a flip, but if Miami continues to struggle on the field, the Nittany Lions would be right there among his top options. As far as prospects committed elsewhere go, Penn State’s staff is more bullish on its chances with Robinson than most.

– It may not be the first big test for Deion Barnes this weekend, but it’s certainly a large opportunity for the first-year defensive line coach. Andrews is obviously someone they will go all out for and Amaris Williams has flown up the board. The Nittany Lions have been hot and cold with Deyvid Palepale this cycle, but if he didn’t visit this weekend, it seemed that trip wouldn’t happen at all with Michigan surging. Editorializing here, but Penn State needs to decide if they want to go all-in on the in-state prospect. The Wolverines are certainly the favorite. We’ve long pegged Xavier Gilliam to end up at Penn State, but we’ll have to see where he stands on Barnes’ board coming out of the weekend.

– In the “it may only be interesting to me” file, one-third of the visitors this weekend have added their Penn State offers in what I would consider a recent timeline. Offensive tackle Deryc Plazz picked up an offer from the Nittany Lions in April, while Sione Laulea added his on May 9. Amaris Williams picked up his offer on May 23 and Tye Hylton got his just a few days later on May 25. The turnaround time to get those guys to take an early June official, especially the last two, is pretty astounding. I don’t know what it means (or if it means anything at all), but it’s a good reminder that you don’t need to have offered early to be a top target by official visit season.

– Chris Cole is the only visitor I haven’t mentioned in these sections so far. There’s no reason for that, but I just know if I didn’t mention him someone would say something. I don’t have much to add other than what Ryan Snyder has said already. Penn State hopes to set the bar for him this weekend.

Nuts and Bolts

– Penn State has set up an official visit with Pittsburgh (Pa.) Central Catholic wide receiver Peter Gonzalez for two weeks from now, but whether that trip happens will be largely dependent on how he performs at camp on Sunday. The Nittany Lions had him in camp last year but he didn’t run a 40, which, despite strong numbers in other testing areas, kept Penn State from pushing. He had a strong spring track season and he’ll get a chance to work out with Marques Hagans this weekend. I could see this one moving along quickly if things go well. Virginia Tech seems like the choice right now, but a green light from Penn State would be tough to ignore for the in-state prospect and teammate of commit Anthony Speca.

– Speaking of camp on Sunday, Gonzalez will get a chance to catch passes from quarterback commit Ethan Grunkemeyer, who will be throwing during the session. It will be Grunkemeyer’s first chance to work out with Mike Yurcich as a committed prospect. Click here for more on Penn State’s Sunday camp.

– On3’s Chad Simmons made waves on Thursday with an RPM pick for Michigan receiver Nick Marsh in favor of the Nittany Lions. Marsh will be in Pittsburgh this weekend and go to Michigan State at the end of the month. That said, Penn State has an edge entering OV season. I’m not quite there on an RPM level yet, but Penn State has recruited him well and the Nittany Lions are trending.

– The Nittany Lions are also in a great spot for one of their top edge prospects in Philly pass rusher Mylachi Williams. Notre Dame is full at his spot and the Fighting Irish were the top competition. There’s still a chance that Elijah Robinson and Texas A&M could make a run, but Penn State is in a strong position heading into June. That’s a pick that could come soon.

– Speaking of Philly-area pass rushers, Chester defensive end Dominic Toy tells me he will work out for the staff on Sunday as well. Like Gonzalez, this is a performance that will determine his standing moving forward. We’ll see if the apparent upside is justified.

– Penn State will host DC defensive tackle DeAndre Cook at the end of the month, but there seems to be some confidence on the Nittany Lions’ end for the three-star prospect. Cook visits Rutgers, North Carolina and Boston College this month as well. As an added wrinkle, the Nittany Lions could be in line to get his teammate Dylan Stewart on campus for an official visit for a big game this fall. By that time, Stewart will be able to take unlimited visits and that’s one worth holding a spot for if you’re the Nittany Lions’s staff.

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