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Tyler Calvaruso
The Early Signing Period is long in the books and 11 of Penn State's 2023 signees are already on campus for the spring semester, which means it is nearly time to put a bow on a cycle that saw the Nittany Lions sign the 15th-ranked class in the nation. There is still the possibility for a late addition to the class with four-star Dundalk (Md.) tackle Chimdy Onoh available for the taking, but Penn State's 2023 efforts are all but complete.
“When you talk about this class, we're very, very happy with the class. There's a lot of balance in the class offense and defense as well as early enrollees," head coach James Franklin said during the Early Signing Period. "The class is about split from offense to defense, from little guys to big guys. I think we got a really good mix there. I think the other thing that we've done a good job of, we're going to have to continue to do a good job, is kind of branching out and going to more places.
"At the end of the day, we're still talking about what I would describe as Penn Staters, Penn State kids and Penn State families. You got a chance to spend some time with DaKaari [Nelson] and his family, his dad is the principal of the school, mom is phenomenal. They've done a great job raising DaKaari. Obviously doing a great job in the state of Pennsylvania in keeping the best players home, always a priority for us. I think we've done a good job of that. Then also the region, whether it's New York or whether it's New Jersey or Virginia or Maryland, I think we've done a good job of having a presence in those areas as well."
247Sports unveiled its final Top247 rankings for the 2023 class on Thursday night and Penn State is well-represented with nine players ranked among the nation's elite. Let's take look at where exactly those players fall in the rankings, with Reading Wyomissing offensive tackle J'ven Williams headlining the group as the lone five-star recruit.
High School:Reading (Pa.) Wyomissing
Final Ranking:No. 25 overall
247Sports Scouting Report:Verified size with length and high-level athleticism. Stars on track as well with shot put of 56-6 3/4 and discus throw of 176-2 as sophom*ore. Well-rounded player with solid technique, length and body control. Relishes finishing blocks and smart player. Sinks hips and flexibility shines with ability to bend lower body and twist torso. In the run game, Williams shows speed in getting in front of runner when pulling. Can locate the defender and make block in space. Gets low, engages and continues to pump his legs to drive player back. Hand placement is consistently inside defender and is tough to disengage. In pass pro, Williams is ahead of most high school players. Pops up quickly and sits in base well. Shows kick step and is measured and assertive with initial punch. Foot speed is impressive. Moves laterally, can mirror and tough to beat with speed or inside move. Must continue to develop upper body strength.
High School:Ashburn (Va.) Broad Run
Final Ranking:No. 83 overall
247Sports Scouting Report:Verified size with frame to play at 300 pounds. High level wrestler who won class 4A title as a sophom*ore. Brother, John, wrestlers for Navy and father and uncle played FBS football. Plays right guard and projects as interior player in college. Had dominant junior season. Physical and plays with nasty streak. Athleticism shines through consistently, and flashes the most pulling. Excellent flexibility throughout frame and has elite body control. Able to bend and win leverage battle. Consistent hand placement allows to get inside on defensive linemen. Strong initial punch. Remains engaged while driving legs to dominate reps. Gets to the second level quickly. Frequently overwhelms opponents in run game. Sits comfortably with wide base in pass pro. Able to stop defender with initial punch. Is sometimes stationary and relies on superior strength rather than sliding laterally in pass pro. Will need to add upper body mass and strength. High-level multi-year starter at elite college program. First round NFL draft potential.
DB KING MACK
High School:Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas
Final Ranking:No. 85 overall
247Sports Scouting Report:The football version of a five-tool center fielder. Lacks the ideal height/weight combo, but makes up for his smaller frame with his speed, instincts, ball skills, physicality and leadership qualities. As a junior, worked mostly out of a two-deep safety look and thrived picking off four passes for a storied St. Thomas Aquinas program, which captured a state title in Florida’s second-highest classification. Ability to get to the deeper third of the field or from hash to hash in the snap of a finger is rare. So are his track times: 10.64 in the 100, 21.43 in the 200 and 46.25 in the 400-meter dash. Can without a doubt fly, but more than comfortable just patrolling the backend of a defense as he isn’t afraid to stick his nose in the box and provide run support on first or second down. Owns valuable experience as a blitzer in passing situations, as well. Hasn’t been asked to play much man-on-man coverage at the prep level, but fluid footwork and initial burst suggest that he will be able to hang with some of the quicker wide receivers that line up in the slot these days. Must keep progressing as a football player and learn how to get Power Five veterans to the ground on his own, but has the traits to emerge as a multi-year starter on Saturdays. Subpar measurables won’t be for everyone, but range is extremely valuable in an era of football where so many offenses want to just air it out. Ceiling might ultimately be highest as a single-high safety in an aggressive defensive scheme that wants to bait quarterbacks into making bad decisions, but could also possibly be utilized in a variety of ways including as a slot defender.
LB TONY ROJAS
High School:Fairfax (Va.)
Final Ranking:No. 121 overall
247Sports Scouting Report:Verified size with plus length and speed with multi-sport profile. Has plenty of room for frame growth and can easily add 25 pounds without losing athletic traits. Impact player in high school as linebacker/edge rusher and running back. Also well-rounded basketball player. Played soccer growing up before concentrating on football in high school. Verified high 4.6 speed with shuttle in 4.2s, which showcases change of direction and acceleration. Ridiculously productive with 1,700 yards of total offense and 27 touchdowns and 40 tackles, including seven sacks. Best suited to play inside linebacker but possesses some traits to play outside. Instinctual and plays at high rate of speed. Plays with leverage and bends well in lower body. Can engage and still drive legs to get around corner on blitz. Plays with a physicality beyond his current size. Incredibly quick in shooting gaps. Closes well on ball carriers. Shows speed to chase play down on back side. Durable and reliable. Does not quit on plays. Uses quick hands well to stay off blocks. Has athleticism and speed to drop into coverage in flat or take running back one-on-one. Has to develop strength throughout frame, and particularly in upper body. Needs to show he can stack and shed on consistent basis. Will need to develop in weight room before being a factor on college field but has ability to play for Top 10 program. Potential mid-round NFL draft pick.
High School:Selma (Ala.)
Final Ranking:No. 132 overall
247Sports Scouting Report:Verified at 6-foot-2 and 190-pounds plus, appears to possess the growth potential to add additional weight to his frame. Three-phase player, displays above average athleticism in all phases of the game. Positioned the majority of snaps at the safety position, also sees some time at the corner position. Flashes some good feel and instincts as a press man defender. Wins with physicality and length at the point of attack. Long speed to play the deep part of the field is somewhat of a concern, but shows the ability to add coverage ability in the short to intermediate part of the field. Displays excellent ball production and awareness. Recorded 8 INTs in his junior season, in addition to two pick-6s. Limited sample size as a tackler on film, but flashes some physicality at the point of attack. Position projection will depend on physical growth but skill set points to playing closer to the line of scrimmage in a hybrid safety-backer role at the next level. Physical traits translate to playing more in the box with ability to play sideline to sideline and be of value in the passing game as a coverage defender. Projects as an above average multi-year starter at a Power Five program at the next level and will add value on multiple special teams units.
High School:Tampa (Fla.) Venice
Final Ranking:No. 173 overall
247Sports Scouting Report:A versatile defensive back with an elite burst that has been getting varsity snaps since he was in eighth grade. Owns a muscular build and is already hovering around 195 pounds. Still room, however, to add some more mass and could eventually tack on 15 pounds or more to his stocky frame, if desired. Has spent much of prep career working on the outside, but figures to settle in as a slot corner or box safety at the next level given physical nature and lack of length. Looks to be one of the best in the Sunshine State for the 2023 cycle when it comes to changing directions as he can twist and turn and get where he needs to be on most occasions. Competitive at the catch point more times than not as he will stick his hip right on a wide receiver and then fight through hands. Likes to play the role of enforcer on Friday nights and has displayed impressive power as a tackler near the line of scrimmage or in the open field. Excels in chase mode, which isn’t surprising giving verified speed markers (10.69 in the 100-meter dash at state track meet as a junior). Doesn’t have a ton of experience working in press-man situations, but understands to some degree how to shed blocks and make a stop, which is always encouraging. Has found success as a punt returner in the past and figures to emerge as a valuable pawn on special teams at the college of his choice given how quickly he can get down the field. Picked off four passes as a junior, helping Venice win a state title in Florida’s highest classification. That’s after a junior campaign in which he was responsible for four more takeaways. Might not be a true CB1 type, but has the skillset and tools to blossom into an impact player in the secondary for a College Football Playoff contender.
LB KAVEION KEYS
High School:Richmond (Va.) Varina
Final Ranking:No. 186 overall
247Sports Scouting Report:Possesses frame to add 20-25 pounds and not lose agility, speed or quickness. Defensive leader for state title-winning team as junior. Productive two-way play who plays on edge of 3-4 defense. High-level athlete also plays receiver. Gets off quickly at snap. Shows quick hands to keep offensive linemen from getting inside. Can re-direct and move along line of scrimmage. Has speed to get around tackle on blitzes. Has burst to get across the face of offensive tackle. Plays with energy and effort, and is a competitor. Plays fast and is physical, especially when tackling through a ball carrier. Willing to fight through double teams. Athleticism shows when dropping into coverage. Fluid in change of direction to drives on ball. Pursues downhill in the flat and chases plays down from behind. Body control shines as a receiver when he adjusts to the ball and uses his size to shield defenders. Strong tackler in space. Uses length well when breaking down. Needs to continue to develop upper body strength to handle physical nature of college game in the box. Has some stack-and-shed ability but needs to continue to develop it. Working on anchoring against run important. Has to continue to work on on technique, including when turning and running laterally. Multi-year starter with possible early-impact ability for Top 20 program. Has NFL draft potential.
High School:Roanoke (Va.) Patrick Henry
Final Ranking:No. 213 overall
247Sports Scouting Report:Size is verified after in-person evaluation in early November. Has verified speed times with personal best 10.59 in 100 meters and consistently ran in 10.7s and 10.8s. Can impact game on offense and with special teams. Speed shows up on field. Fluid athlete who can play on both sides of ball. When release is clean he gets into route quickly and uses speed to get behind defense. Tracks ball well and can adjust to inaccurate throws. Sees plenty of off coverage and safety help because of ability to get deep. Adept at coming back to ball. Puts ball away quickly and looks to get up field in a hurry. Uses frame well and high points ball in traffic. Wins 50-50 balls regularly. Understands how to set up cornerbacks with double move to get deep. Effective on bubble screens and quick outs. Can turn a 5-yard gain into 15-20 yards because of ability to pierce defense and speed. Sometimes lets ball get inside on him rather than catching with hands. Has to add mass throughout frame in the weight room to get off jams and be more physical at top of route. Has to work on route running. Needs to be more succinct out of breaks and sometimes rounds off routes. Can be a big factor in pass game at Top 20 programs once strength is added. Late round NFL draft pick potential.
