Penn State 2022 recruiting: Ranking top remaining targets (2024)

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Whether camps happen on campuses this summer remains to be seen. Recruits taking visits again also remains up in the air.

Though there was plenty of uncertainty with 2021 signees because of the lack of one summer of camps — and in some cases abbreviated or eliminated senior seasons — the 2022 class is the one upon which the limitations from the pandemic will have an even bigger impact. Workouts can be uploaded to virtual combines, but for many in this class, the bulk of their recruitment could end up being done via virtual visits and on Zoom.

This could mean even more decommitments down the stretch as players commit to schools they perhaps never visited. Even with the decommitment of tight end Holden Staes last week, Penn State is still off to a strong start with 10 months to go until the early signing period, with commitments from seven four-star recruits.

All ratings and rankings via the 247Sports Composite.

Given the success of the class so far, I’m aiming high with this wish list of sorts. As always, I’ll adjust the target rankings all year. This could be one of the most interesting cycles ever, given all the limitations on in-person recruiting events.

1. QB Quinn Ewers

Particulars: Five-star prospect, No. 1 overall player in the country, Southlake Carroll (Texas)

Let’s start off the list with a bang. OK, in terms of feasibility, this is a long shot. But if for some strange reason Ohio State falters and Penn State lights up the Big Ten and has an exciting offense, who knows? Of course, the link here is that Ewers was once verbally committed to Texas, the former employer of new Penn State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich. Ewers decommitted from Texas in October and committed to Ohio State in November. After getting spoiled by Justin Fields the past few seasons and signing Kyle McCord, the Buckeyes must be elated to have Ewers in line too. It’s much easier said than done to land a top-flight quarterback, let alone the top player in a cycle.

Penn State has a verbal pledge from four-star QB Beau Pribula, but that hasn’t stopped Yurcich and James Franklin from offering scholarships to other quarterbacks. Ewers is listed here because, like Caleb Williams, who was atop the list at this time last year, elite quarterbacks are what separate good, great and elite teams. Pribula’s rise should have Penn State feeling good about what it has, but again, Ewers is the kind of special player who everybody should have atop their list.

2. DE Enai White

Particulars: Five-star prospect from Philadelphia’s Imhotep Charter

If there’s one way to make an emphatic statement that Penn State’s ability to dominate the state isn’t in question, it would be with the player ranked 29th in the country. Though Penn State is in position for a strong haul in Pennsylvania, there are 32 five-star prospects in the 2022 cycle and White is the only one from Pennsylvania. There’s a chance here for the Nittany Lions to secure a game-changer.

Philadelphia native Deion Barnes continues to be an important piece to Penn State’s optimism for improved recruiting success in Philadelphia. But how attractive is Penn State when all of college football’s major powerhouses are in play and the Nittany Lions are coming off a 4-5 season? The goal, of course, is to sign White. If not, the hope is he doesn’t sign with Ohio State. This feels like a constant theme these days.

3. RB Nicholas Singleton

Particulars: Four-star prospect from Governor Mifflin High School in Reading, Pa.

Penn State didn’t sign a high school running back in the 2021 class, bringing in only Baylor graduate transfer John Lovett. It needs at least one running back in this cycle. With Lovett, Noah Cain, Devyn Ford, Keyvone Lee and Caziah Holmes, this room could change in the next 10 months, whether with a potential transfer and/or an NFL departure. Penn State is well positioned in 2021 to rebound from a rough year with Pennsylvania’s top players, and Singleton would be a huge part of that success. Penn State has verbal pledges already from four of the state’s top 10 prospects. Singleton is the No. 3 player in Pennsylvania and the No. 7 running back nationally.

4. LB Jaishawn Barham

Particulars: Four-star prospect from St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, Md.

Aim big, right? Barham, who once was at DeMatha Catholic, is the top player in Maryland. Penn State offered him more than two years ago, which speaks to what kind of priority he is — and also how difficult it could be to sign him as offers pour in from all over the country for the No. 43 player in the class.

5. OT Tyler Booker

Particulars: Four-star prospect from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.

When offensive tackle commit Drew Shelton announced his move from Downingtown West High School to IMG Academy in December, it instantly gave the Nittany Lions’ recruiting efforts at the powerhouse a boost. It’s far from a given that Shelton being there means Penn State will land any of his senior year teammates, but his presence doesn’t hurt. With Landon Tengwall headlining the 2021 class and Shelton being a key piece in 2022, Phil Trautwein is putting together a line that could be special in the coming years. Another big-time get up front — and there are several options — would put this class in a tremendous position. Getting Booker — the No. 3 tackle this cycle who transferred to IMG from Bergen Catholic in New Jersey — might be too much of an ask, but spending a year with Shelton, who is the No. 13 tackle, can’t hurt Penn State’s push.

6. DE Dani Dennis-Sutton

Particulars: Four-star prospect from McDonogh School in Owings Mills, Md.

Dennis-Sutton is ranked fourth at his position, No. 55 nationally and third in Maryland. There’s a chance for Penn State to make a splash here. Keep in mind the strong ties between Penn State and McDonogh, the alma mater of current Nittany Lions PJ Mustipher, Dvon Ellies and Curtis Jacobs.

Dennis-Sutton’s teammate, three-star DT Kwan Williams, is ranked 358th nationally and could end up at Penn State as a realistic addition as well. Neither had a junior season because of the pandemic.

7. CB Keenan Nelson Jr.

Particulars: Four-star prospect from St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia

Penn State signed cornerback John Reid from the powerhouse high school in 2015, and Reid also trained at Philadelphia Skills Academy, like Nelson.

Nelson is the No. 2 prospect in Pennsylvania, the No. 10 corner and No. 83 overall. Penn State has had success getting freshman corners on the field early, and though it heads into this season with 10 scholarship corners and signed two in 2021, the 2019 class with four corner signees (Keaton Ellis, Marquis Wilson, Joey Porter Jr. and Daequan Hardy) is heading into its third year on campus. Cornerbacks coach and defensive recruiting coordinator Terry Smith has handled recruiting Philadelphia since staff changes last offseason, so having the position coach leading the charge can’t hurt.

8. OT Kiyaunta Goodwin

Particulars: Four-star prospect from Charlestown, Ind.

Listed at 6-foot-7, 300 pounds, Goodwin is the No. 10 offensive tackle nationally and the No. 2 player in Indiana. He’s long had a Penn State offer, and he added an offer from Yurcich at Texas last fall. Again, pairing another big-time tackle with Shelton has to be a priority for this class. Penn State missed out on landing two of the best offensive linemen in one class with Tengwall and Wisconsin signee Nolan Rucci. Maybe this is the year it can pull that off?

9. LB Anthony Johnson

Particulars: Four-star prospect from Neumann Goretti in Philadelphia

Johnson is ranked No. 6 in Pennsylvania and the No. 7 inside linebacker, and the place known as Linebacker U would seem to be a strong option. But given all the unusual restrictions during the pandemic, many of these recruitments are more of a mystery than usual. Penn State’s linebacker play last season for the most part wasn’t up to par. Having Micah Parsons get selected early in the upcoming NFL Draft will help bolster the stock of Linebacker U, and so too could this upcoming season for junior former five-star recruit Brandon Smith. It’s yet again a cycle loaded with in-state talent, and Penn State should be in the conversation for many of these players. Having a pledge from Northeast High School’s Ken Talley helps.

10. DT KJ Miles

Particulars: Four-star prospect from St. Peter’s Prep in Jersey City, N.J.

Though there are 10 defensive tackles on scholarship next season, developing depth here is a priority. Penn State dipped into the transfer portal to sign Duke graduate transfer Derrick Tangelo, and Mustipher is entering his senior season. There’s an intriguing group already on the roster, including the three signees in the 2020 class, but with no tackle pledges and no freshman tackles signed in 2021, they’ll certainly address that need in 2022. McDonogh’s Kwan Williams, as noted earlier, is an option too.

What about … quarterbacks Drew Allar and Nick Evers?

Yurcich has offered these two three-star prospects since taking the job at Penn State. It’s an interesting wrinkle to watch, as it very much keeps the door open for Penn State to take two quarterbacks. Getting two quarterbacks in a class is always an interesting sell to the players, and adding to the current quarterback room with a transfer this offseason is still in play, too.

This is one position where there’s always going to be roster turnover, and Penn State has lost Will Levis (Kentucky), Micah Bowens (Oklahoma) and Michael Johnson Jr. (FAU) since last summer. The room is thin, and though Pribula’s stock is on the rise, with a new offensive coordinator yet again, the outlook here could shift. There’s no reason to believe Pribula, who grew up loving Penn State, would head elsewhere, but the offers going out at the position can’t be ignored.

Keep in mind … It’s still to be determined if there will be two tight ends in this class. Staes decommitted last week, and 2023 pledge Mathias Barnwell decommitted too. With tight ends coach Tyler Bowen leaving for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Ty Howle taking over, four-star prospect Jerry Cross is still in the fold. There’s not a pressing need to add another tight end, but keep in mind Cross, from Milwaukee, committed before setting foot on campus.

What if … The three wide receiver commits all end up signing with Penn State? Mehki Flowers, Kaden Saunders and Anthony Ivey are all ranked in the top 185 nationally, which would be a remarkable haul. Flowers could also play safety, but if all three sign as receivers, that’s a good problem to have. Second-year receivers coach Taylor Stubblefield got promoted to offensive recruiting coordinator for a reason, and he did a nice job with freshmen Parker Washington and KeAndre Lambert-Smith, in addition to Jahan Dotson, last year.

A name for the future: Oliver Bridges. The 2022 cornerback at the Bullis School trains at Prime Xample, which has long been a home for future Nittany Lions. Penn State offered Bridges in December, around the same time it signed his high school teammate, quarterback Christian Veilleux. He’s not currently rated in the 247Sports Composite but is worth keeping an eye on.

(Photo of James Franklin: Matthew O’Haren / USA Today)

Audrey Snyder has covered Penn State since 2012 for various outlets, including The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Patriot-News and DKPittsburghSports. Snyder is an active member of the Association for Women in Sports Media (AWSM) and is the professional adviser for Penn State’s student chapter. Follow Audrey on Twitter @audsnyder4