While most of the focus for recruiting this summer will be on the rising seniors who will be utilizing official visits to Penn State, an impressive group of current high-school sophomores are also expected to check out campus.
Class of 2023 offensive guard Antonio Tripp Jr. recently announced on Twitter his plan to visit Penn State on June 5. Tripp, although currently unranked in the 247 Sports Composite, has already garnered more than a dozen offers, including from the Nittany Lions in April, 2020. Tripp hails from McDonough School in Owings, Maryland, which has produced multiple players currently on the Penn State roster.
The responses to Tripp’s tweet were equally notable, however, as Alex Birchmeier and Mathias “Mega” Barnwell each indicated they will also be in attendance on the same day.
Birchmeier is a five-star offensive guard from Ashburn, Virginia, who attends Broad Run. The 6-foot-5, 275 pounder is ranked 33rd overall in the Class of 2023. Also a state wrestling champion, Birchmeier boasts notable offers from Arizona State, Auburn, Georgia, Indiana, LSU, Miami, Michigan, UNC, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Oregon. Penn State was among the first teams to offer him, in February 2020.
Barnwell is a familiar name to Penn State fans, as he was committed to the Nittany Lions for several months before reopening his recruitment in January. Barnwell, a four-star tight end, has since garnered new offers from a bevy of schools. From Fredericksburg, Virginia, he became the initial member of Penn State’s Class of 2023 last June.
More offensive linemen set OVs to Penn State
As the list of June visitors continues to grow for Penn State, three more offensive linemen are expected to take official visits to State College. The Class of 2022 trio consists of Gunner Givens, Andre Roye, and Austin Firestone.
Givens has been a top target for Penn State for months, and he’s reciprocated the interest, including Penn State in his top six list in November. A four-star talent who is ranked 104th overall per the 247 Sports Composite, Givens is slated to use his OV on the weekend of June 18, according to 247 Sports. Givens, from Daleville, Virginia, has also included Virginia Tech, Clemson, Alabama, UNC, and Ohio State among his contenders.
Roye is a three-star talent from Baltimore. Ranked 777th overall in the class, Roye attends St. Frances Academy. Last week, Roye announced his intentions to visit Penn State on the weekend of June 18, as well as taking OVs to Rutgers and Maryland on the preceding weekends.
Firestone, a three-star prospect, hails from Niceville, Florida. His OV with the Nittany Lions is scheduled for the weekend of June 12, and he also intends to visit Northwestern and Virginia in June. Penn State entered the mix for his services with an offer in February. Firestone, who is home-schooled but attends Niceville High School, could also potentially play on the defensive line in college.
Bellamy includes PSU among his top contenders
Last week, Class of 2022 cornerback Jayden Bellamy revealed his top six teams, a group that included Penn State. In addition to the Nittany Lions, other contenders consist of Clemson, Notre Dame, Rutgers, Oklahoma, and Ohio State.
Bellamy is a three-star prospect who ranks 427th nationally. From Bergen Catholic in Oradell, New Jersey, Bellamy is slated to take an official visit to State College on the weekend of June 11. He also intends to visit the Fighting Irish and Buckeyes in the subsequent weeks.
Penn State offered Bellamy in February.
Former PSU commit Staes pledged to Notre Dame
The lone member of Penn State’s Class of 2022 who has decommitted, tight end Holden Staes pledged to Notre Dame over the weekend. Staes, a four-star talent from Atlanta, ended his pledge to the Nittany Lions in February, shortly after former tight ends coach Tyler Bowen left the program. His commitment to Penn State spanned approximately six months.
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