Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1410640
O C T O B E R 2 0 2 1 5 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State hasn't completely turned the page to the class of 2023 yet, but with 24 players committed in the 2022 recruiting cycle as of Sept. 13, James Franklin and his coaching staff have been able to get a head start on next year's class. As of early September, the Nittany Li- ons had extended more than 200 schol- arship offers to 2023 prospects in 29 states. They also held one commitment from four-star offensive lineman Alex Birchmeier of Ashburn, Va. The vast majority of those offers are to players who will never visit State Col- lege. But if we learned anything from the 2023 Rivals250, which was released in the beginning of August, it's that the staff may be forced to look well beyond Penn State's normal recruiting territory. That's because some of the Mid-Atlantic states appear to be down on talent. Maryland, for example, has only two players in the Rivals250. That's its lowest number since Rivals.com started in 2001. New Jersey is similar, with only four players making the Rivals250. Typically, the Garden State averages about nine. One positive is that Pennsylvania is the strongest state in the region, with eight players making the Rivals250. During the past decade, the Nittany Li- ons' home state has averaged about nine such prospects. Although the region may have less talent than usual, Penn State has a very good chance to land some of its top targets in the months ahead. What fol- lows is a list of 10 prospects — five on offense, five on defense — for Nittany Lion fans to watch closely this fall and into next year. OFFENSE Mathias Barnwell | TE/OT Barnwell committed to the Nittany Lions in June 2020, but he reopened his recruitment in January. He was the youngest player to ever commit to Penn State at the time. The Fredericksburg, Va., native had about 15 offers when he made the move, most of which were from regional programs. Since January, when he decommit- ted, Barnwell has seen his offer sheet nearly double. He announced a top seven of Penn State, Kentucky, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Virginia and Virginia Tech this sum- mer, although we expect the Tar Heels, Fighting Irish, Buckeyes and Hokies to be Penn State's top competitors in the months ahead. Barnwell, who plays at Riverbend High School, visited all seven of his top schools this summer. Penn State was able to get him on campus twice, first on June 24 and then again on July 27. He said in early July that Ohio State was his favorite, but sources felt good about where the Nittany Lions stood follow- ing his most recent visit. One consideration with Barnwell is that he would like to play tight end at the next level, but at 6-foot-6, 270 pounds, he's already outgrowing the position with two years left of high school. He ranks No. 119 nationally ac- cording to Rivals. Chase Bisontis | OL Bisontis' interest in Penn State be- came clear in September 2020 when he took a self-guided tour of campus while the NCAA dead period was still in effect. A New Jersey native who plays at Don Bosco Prep, Bisontis told BWI at the time that Penn State was a school he grew up watching closely, One Step Ahead Penn State is already working to lay a solid foundation for its 2023 recruiting class RYA N S N Y D E R | S N Y D E R 4 2 0 8 8 @ G M A I L . C O M Mathias Barnwell is a four-star tight end from Fredericksburg, Va. At 6-foot-6, 270 pounds with two high school seasons remaining, he may well grow into an offensive tackle role in college. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER FOOTBALL RECRUITING