The weekend of June 18-20 could rank among the biggest recruiting opportunities in recent memory for Penn State. Three priority targets for the Nittany Lions set their plans for official visits to State College that weekend, joining several other prospects who previously announced similar intentions. The newest additions to that weekend are all four-star talents – Cristian Driver, Darrius Clemons, and Omarion Hampton.
Driver is the son of former NFL standout receiver Donald Driver, who played 14 seasons for the Green Bay Packers. During Driver’s time with the Packers, James Franklin served as an assistant coach in 2005. The younger Driver plays both receiver and safety, and could potentially project on either side of the ball collegiately. As a safety, he’s ranked 12th best in the Class of 2022, and 218th nationally per the 247 Sports Composite. His extensive offer sheet also includes Alabama, Arizona State, Auburn, Florida, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas A&M, Southern Cal, and Wisconsin. Driver hails from Argyle, Texas and attends Liberty Christian.
Clemons recently included Penn State among his top 10 teams, and he solidified his interest by setting his OV shortly thereafter. A 6-foot-3, 205-pound receiver from Portland, Oregon, Clemons also intends to take official visits to Michigan, Southern Cal, and Auburn. His other top choices include Oregon, Arizona, Notre Dame, Stanford, Northwestern, and Oregon State. Clemons is rated as the 132nd best player in the class.
Hampton is another highly-touted running back in the mix for the Nittany Lions, as he’s ranked 11th at his position, and 135th in the entire class. From Clayton, North Carolina, Hampton also has set OVs to Florida and Ohio State, while he’s frequently visited nearby UNC in an unofficial capacity. The Nittany Lions extended their offer more than a year ago, in March 2020.
Other players who are slated to take an official visit to Penn State on June 18-20 include four-star prospects defensive end Tyreese Fearbry and cornerback Ryan Turner, as well as three-star defensive ends Anto Saka and Keon Wylie.
PSU offers Lackawanna safety, South Carolina running back
Penn State has reaped the rewards of creating a pipeline with Lackawanna College in recent years, and that trend could continue in the Class of 2022. Safety Tyrece Mills, a freshman at Lackawanna, garnered an offer from the Nittany Lions after playing just one game for the Falcons.
Mills, who attended Northeast High School in Philadelphia, posted four tackles and an interception in Lackawanna’s 37-7 victory against Sussex County Community College on Sunday.
Other players who have matriculated from Lackawanna to Penn State include current players safeties Jaquan Brisker and Ji’Ayir Brown, receiver Norval Black, and offensive lineman Anthony Whigan, as well as former Nittany Lions Paris Palmer and Brenon Thrift.
A 2020 high school graduate, Mills took an unofficial visit to Texas A&M in 2019, but ultimately opted for the junior college route.
Additionally, Penn State extended an offer to running back CJ Stokes, also in the Class of 2022.
Stokes, who is from Columbia, South Carolina and attends Hammond School, garnered an offer from Michigan on the same day. His other Power Five options include South Carolina, Duke, Louisville, Minnesota, Missouri, Vanderbilt, and Wake Forest.
A three-star talent, Stokes is ranked 796th nationally.
Nittany Lions crack top list for safety Covil
Sherrod Covil Jr, a four-star safety, included Penn State among his top 11 teams last week. In addition to the Nittany Lions, Covil will focus on Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Virginia, Maryland, Southern Cal, Virginia Tech, Michigan, Notre Dame, and Oregon.
From Chesapeake, Virginia, Covil attends Oscar Smith High School. He’s ranked 251st in the Class of 2022, and 16th among safeties.
The Nittany Lions joined the fray for Covil when they extended an offer in July 2020.
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