One week after Class of 2023 quarterback Jaxon Smolik flipped from Tulane to Penn State, he announced that he will enroll on campus in January, according to 247Sports.
Fellow commits such as Alex Birchmeier and J’ven Williams also plan on enrolling early.
If Smolik sings, he’ll join a quarterback room that could include Christian Veilleux, Drew Allar and Beau Pribula.
Smolik, a 6-foot-2, 200-pounder out of Dowling Catholic High School in Iowa is the number nine recruit in Iowa and the No. 30 quarterback prospect in the country, according to 247Sports’ Composite rankings.
Smolik has a chance to rise in the quarterback rankings in a big way if he can stay healthy. He broke his collarbone in the first game of last season and missed two months.
Smolik still managed to throw for nine touchdowns to two interceptions and completed 65 percent of his passes. He showed his skills in the Elite 11 quarterback camp showing poise, accuracy and arm talent.
With Sean Clifford exhausting his eligibility after this upcoming season, Smolik could take part in Penn State’s first quarterback competition since 2019 when Clifford, a then-redshirt sophomore, beat out redshirt freshman Will Levis for the starting job. Levis now starts for the Kentucky Wildcats and is a projected first-round pick in next April’s NFL Draft.
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