Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1486024
5 2 D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 2 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State's regular season may be finished, but there's no time to rest for James Franklin and his assistant coaches. The Nittany Lions enjoyed a bounce- back season, one that surpassed most expectations, and now they are hoping to parlay their success into a few more wins in the 2023 recruiting cycle, which is rapidly drawing to a close. With four-star New Jersey wide re- ceiver Ejani Shakir having reopened his recruitment a few days before Thanks- giving, the class sat at 19 committed players as of late November, leaving the coaches with room for at least a handful of additions. Offensively, Penn State has interest in adding players at three positions: run- ning back, wide receiver and the offen- sive line. Of those position groups, running back feels like the main priority. Red- shirt sophomore Caziah Holmes left the team before the season began, even- tually transferring to Florida State. Fourth-year junior Devyn Ford decided to step away from the program in late September, and now one has to wonder if third-year sophomore Keyvone Lee will consider entering the transfer por- tal after seeing freshmen Nicholas Sin- gleton and Kaytron Allen both emerge as dynamic ball carriers with three years of eligibility remaining apiece. With Lee injured for much of the sea- son, Penn State's third running back this year has been walk-on Tank Smith. If Lee were to depart, the Lions will be thin at the position going into the 2023 season. Their only verbally committed running back in the 2023 class is Lon- don Montgomery of Scranton (Pa.) Prep. Montgomery is a four-star prospect in the On3 Consensus, but he's recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament that cost him his senior year. In hope of rebuilding its depth, Penn State has reportedly shown interest in Cameron Wallace of Mount Vernon, Ga., and Christopher Johnson of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Wallace, who attends Montgomery County High, was a late riser this fall, picking up his first Power Five offer in September from Washington State. Georgia Tech, Indiana, Michigan State and West Virginia have all since offered the 5-foot-10, 170-pound speedster who ran the 100-meter dash in 10.56 seconds in the spring. Penn State is the only school to have gotten him on campus for an official visit so far, although he did take an un- official trip to Florida State. Wallace is unranked by On3. Johnson holds a four-star rating and is ranked No. 274 nationally by On3. The Dillard High standout has taken three official visits, traveling to Utah in September before seeing both Clemson and Ole Miss in November. Miami is expected to host Johnson in December. The 5-11, 178-pound running back has an official visit to Penn State scheduled for Dec. 9-11. Lions Look To Fill Remaining Slots In 2023 Class RYA N S N Y D E R | R YA N. S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M FOOTBALL RECRUITING Four-star cornerback prospect Daniel Harris of Miami took an official visit to Penn State in June. The nation's No. 42 overall prospect according to On3, he initially chose Georgia but reopened his recruitment in November, giving the Nittany Lions a chance to land him. PHOTO COURTESY HARRIS FAMILY