On Monday, Penn State announced the hiring of new Wide Receivers coach and Offensive Recruiting Coordinator Marques Hagans, much to the excitement of Nittany Lions recruit Mehkai White.
White, a native of King George, Virginia, had built a previous relationship with Hagans, who spent the last 11 seasons serving in a variety of coaching roles at the University of Virginia.
“It’s almost like a father-son relationship,” White said. “I’ve camped with him several times, plus he talks to me almost every day. I was very excited when I heard the news that he got the new position. Him going to a big program like Penn State is awesome. It was definitely a great hire for Penn State.”
Hiring Hagans may bring even more good news for the Nittany Lions in the near future.
White, a wide receiver at King George High School, said Penn State has moved up his offer list to one of the top schools now that Hagans would be his coach if White chooses to play for the Nittany Lions.
The 6-foot-3, 180-pound junior currently holds more than 50 FBS offers. White said he is mainly considering LSU, Georgia, Tennessee, Oklahoma, West Virginia and Virginia Tech, among a few others, along with Penn State.
👀👀👀 #WeAre24🦁 pic.twitter.com/OVKT0j1TOo
— Mekhai White (@mekhai_white) January 23, 2023
“A lot of schools have shown me a lot of love,” White said. “The entire recruiting process has been going very well. It’s been picking up a little bit lately. I’ve been hearing from and talking to a lot of coaches, and I’m really starting to narrow down my choices.”
If White chooses to play in State College, he would likely be in a great position under Hagans, who coached 10 of the Top 15 career receiving yards leaders at Virginia, including Olamide Zaccheaus, a wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons. Zaccheaus holds the Virginia program record with 250 receptions and has the second-highest receiving yard total in school history with 2,753.
White said he most likely plans to announce his commitment in July, possibly on the Independence Day Holiday.
Until then, White will be preparing for his senior season on the gridiron, while also participating in basketball and track and field for King George.
This past fall, White hauled in 37 receptions for 1,019 yards and 18 touchdowns, all while helping lead the Foxes to a 12-1 record. King George fell to eventual Virginia state champion Dinwiddie in overtime in the VSHL Region 4B championship game.
White is currently listed as a three-star recruit on both Rivals and 24/7 Sports, while being ranked as the No. 7 athlete in Virginia.
“I just want to have a great final year of high school football,” White said. “I’m going to do my best to stay healthy and help my team win a state championship. I definitely want to see my team succeed in my last time on the field.”
