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Penn State Signing Day Live File– Dec. 20, 2023

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One of the biggest days of the year is here: Penn State football’s 2023 signing day.

Penn State’s 25 commits will make their commitments official over the next several hours.

The first one will likely be Cooper Cousins, as the first player who committed to a class is usually the first one to sign.

The most recent player to commit to Penn State’s Class of 2024 was Jaylen Harvey, who did so in October. In between, 23 players decided to come to Penn State, with one of them, Luke Reynolds, developing into a five-star recruit after his commitment.

Nittany Sports Now will have the days events right here.

Update (11:37 a.m.)– Penn State has signed it’s final player of the day: another Imhotep star, Kenny Woseley. Woseley committed to Penn State in early March before helping Imhotep to a state title. NSN talked to Woseley after that game, and he mentioned some things he feels he does well.

“I think my physicality, my IQ and my technique,” Woseley said. “I think that those three things at corner are the biggest because you have to react to certain things, and if you don’t react on time, bad stuff can happen,” Woseley said. “Just watching a lot of film, watching stuff that happens in college football and the NFL. Being a student of the game.”

Terry Smith himself introduced Woseley.

“The definition of who you are,” Smith, a PSU letterman, “is who we are.”

Update (11:28 a.m.)–

Penn State has signed Tyseer Denmark, a 5-foot-11, 180-pound receiver from Philadelphia’s Imhotep Charter High School. Denmark committed to Penn State in June, flipping from Oregon. With a quiet confidence, Brown made his goals clear to Nittany Sports Now earlier this month after his team’s state championship win.

“I’m hungry, I’m coming to take over,” Denmark said. “Just be there and watch the show.”

“I believe in you, Tyseer,” James Franklin said via Zoom. “I’ve believed in you from the start. We think you can be a difference-maker.”

 

Update (11:20 a.m.)–

Up next is Vabou Toure, a three-star, 6-foot, 195-pound safety from New Jersey’s Irvington High School. Toure committed to Penn State in June. He was introduced by former Penn State and current Patriots tight end Mike Gesicki.

“Every time we get on the phone, you’re like a ray of sunshine,” Penn State safeties coach Anthony Poindexter said. “You’re jut a good person.

Update (11:04 a.m.)– Another WPIAL guy has signed with Penn State. It’s Anthony Speca, the second of two players from Pittsburgh Central Catholic that will be signing with Penn State today. Speca is a three-star, 6-foot-2, 220-pound LB who was the second player to commit, doing so this January and joining fellow PA star Cooper Cousins (McDowell). Gonzalez followed Speca in June. Speca was introduced by Penn State and WPIAL legend Sean Lee, who played at Upper St. Clair.

Current PSU analyst and fellow LBU great Dan Conner also spoke to Speca.

“Now that you’ve signed on the dotted line, you’ll start to hear that pressure…,’ Conner said. “You want to get your face on the Mt. Rushmore of Penn State, and we think you have to ability and the work ethic to do it.”

Update (10:57 a.m.)– Penn State has signed the lone QB in its 2024 class. It’s Ethan Grunkemeyer, a 6-foot-2, 190-pounder from Olentangy High School in Lewis Center, Ohio. Grunkemeyer, a four-star, 6-foot-2.5, 190-pounder committed to Penn State in May. After that, he helped Olentangy to an 11-2 record and place in the regional semifinals.

247Sports National Recruiting Analyst Allen Trieu compared Grunkemeyer to Atlanta Falcons quarterback Taylor Heineke.
“Very productive high school player,” Treiu wrote, “who has posted good numbers, completed a good percentage of his passes, and taken care of the ball. Throws with some snap and ball comes out of his hand with good spin and velocity. Solid athlete who can escape pressure and shows a sense for making plays with initial reads aren’t there. Can run with if it me needs to. Shows some anticipation and ability to throw (to) guys open.”

Update (10:52 a.m.)– Jaylen Harvey is now a Nittany Lion. Harvey, a 6-foot-2, 250-pounder from Quince Orchard, was a big-time Penn State target for what felt like forever before finally committing in October. Penn State offered him in April 2022. Harvey was introduced by former Penn State DE Chop Robinson, who was a 2023 All-American and also went to Quince Orchard.

“It’s been a long process,” co-OC/TE coach Ty Howle said… “I can tell you as a letterman, this will be the best decision that you’ve made to this point.”

“You were thorough in this process, you were detailed in this process,” Franklin said… “we’ve known for a long time that we wanted you here.”

 

Update (10:37 a.m.)– Mylachi Williams has signed with Penn State. The four-star, 6-foot-3, 215-pound EDGE from Monsignor High School in Drexel Hill committed in July and finished his senior season with 12 sacks and 25 tackles for loss.

“This is a beautiful day,” Penn State DL coach Deion Barnes said.

Update (10:30 a.m.)– Eagan Boyer has signed with Penn State. Boyer is a 6-foot-7, 250-pound offensive tackle from William Amos Hough High School in Cornelius, North Carolina. He committed to Penn State in late April.

“We’re going to support you in everything,” Franklin said to Boyer via Zoom. “That is academically, that is athletically, that is socially, that is spiritually.”

Update (10:23 a.m.)– Jon Mitchell’s high school teammate, Antoine Belgrave-Shorter, has also signed with Penn State. Belgrave-Shorter announced his commitment a little more than 48 hours after Mitchell did.

Belgrave-Shorter was introduced by Brenton Strange, formerly of Penn State and now of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Belgrave-Shorter’s grandfather moved to Harrisburg, which illustrates how committed the family is to Penn State.

James Franklin said he was proud of Belgrave-Shorter both as a 4.0 student and a football player.

“Enjoy today,” Franklin said. “You’ve earned it. You really have.”

Update (10:11 a.m.)–

Dejuan Lane is officially a Penn State player. Lane is a four-star, 6-foot-3, 195-pound safety from Baltimore’s Gilman High School. He committed to Penn State while on his official visit the first weekend of June. Lane was introduced by former Penn State and current Houston Texas safety Adrian Amos, who’s also from Baltimore.

“Can’t wait to get you here,” Franklin said.

 

 (10:04 a.m.)– Caleb Brewer has committed to Penn State. Brewer was introduced by his Wyomissing High School teammate, Penn State OL J’Ven Williams. Brewer’s a three-star who committed in April the day of the Blue-White Game.

Brewer will not be enrolling early at Penn State. He’ll instead be looking to win a state title in wrestling.

Update (9:51 a.m.)– De’Andre Cook has signed with Penn State. The 6-foot-4, 250-pounder announced his commitment on the last day of June and then helped Friendship Collegiate Academy (Washington, DC) to a District Championship.

Former Penn State DE and current Cardinal Jesse Luketa announced Cook’s signing.

“This is going to be a lot of hard work,” Franklin told Cook. “But there’s going to be a lot of people who care about you along the way.”


Update (9:37 a.m.)– Liam Andrews has signed with Penn State. Andrews is a four-star, 6-foot-5, 260-pound lineman from the Dexter School in Brookline, Mass. He committed to Penn State in July. Although he played both ways in high school, he plans on being a defensive lineman in college.

Sean Clifford introduced Andrews.

“I think about early on, recruiting you as an offensive lineman and coach Trautwein so excited about yo, and then you transition and break coach Trautwein’s heart, and now Deion’s excited about you,” Franklin said. “The reality is, I wouldn’t have cared if you played quarterback… I think you’re going to thrive within our program.”

 


Update (9:11 a.m.)– The son of a Pitt QB is now officially going to play for Penn State. Peter Gonzalez, the son of “Pistol” Pete Gonzalez, committed to PSU in June, and ahead of his announcement, caught up with Nittany Sports Now.

He told NSN that, although he grew up a Pitt fan, at the end of the day, Penn State felt best.

“I think, growing up, and with my dad being a legacy there, that it’s always kind of been a kid’s dream to play for his dad’s alma mater,” Gonzalez told Nittany Sports Now. “But through this process, we’ve kind of just narrowed things down to what was best for me, and Penn State felt like the best choice.”

Terry Smith, a Pittsburgh guy, talked to Gonzalez.

“It’s been a long journey, and you guys trusted the process,” Smith said. “Big Pete, the plan that you put in place for your kids is working to perfection. You should be very, very proud. But, Petey, you have a lot of work to do. It’s not going to be easy.”

Update (9:00 a.m.)– T.A. Cunningham is now a Penn State Nittany Lion. Cunningham is a three-star, 6-foot-6, 275-pounder. He told NSN the night before his commitment in July that he sees himself as “a wolf, because I like to eat dogs.”
“So when I step on the field, regardless of the condition I’m in, whatever, I’m going to give it 100 percent of what I have. So I’m going to leave it all out on the field.”

“We truly believe you’re going to thrive,” Franklin told Cunningham and his family via Zoom.

 

Update (8:42 a.m.)– Josiah Brown has signed with Penn State. Brown is a four-star, 6-foot, 170-pound receiver from New York’s Malverne High School. He committed to PSU in June, announcing his decision the same night Peter Gonzalez, another receiver, announced his.

Brown was introduced by former Penn State player and current staffer Calvin Lowery.

“Thanks for the opportunity,” Brown told Franklin via Zoom. “You guys really changed my life.”

“We’re excited to get you out here,” special teams coach Stacy Collins said. “We need that speed, speed, speed.”

Brown also ran track in high school.

Update (8:26 a.m.)– Donovan Harbour is now a PSU Nittany Lion. The 6-foot-3, 320-pound, four-star from Catholic Memorial High School in Waukesha, Wisconsin, committed to Penn State in April. Harbour is one of three PSU signees from Wisconsin. Another one of those signees, Garrett Sexton, is also an offensive lineman.

“You visited a ton of schools, but really, when you came to Penn State, very early on in the process, you realized this was the place for you.”

Update (8:18 a.m.)– Garrett Sexton has signed with PSU. Sexton is a three-star, 6-foot-7, 265-pound OT from Hartland, Wisconsin. He committed to Penn State in April.

Sexton was introduced by former Penn State OL and current Colt Will Fries.

“You started out as a quarterback, and now you’re an offensive tackle,” Franklin said. “And you’ve embraced it. Your future is so bright… I just can’t tell you how excited we are about your future.

Update (8:11 a.m.)– Penn State’s second RB commit of the 2024 Class is now signed. It’s Corey Smith from Wisconsin’s Catholic Memorial High School. Smith, a four-star 5-foot-11, 170-pounder, committed to Penn State on the last weekend of April.

Smith was introduced by current PSU RB’s Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen

“We can’t wait to get you here,” Franklin said. “I know you wish you were coming in January and we wish you were coming in January, but we have plenty of time for that… I think your best football and your best days academically, socially, all of it, are ahead of you and they’re at Penn State.”

Updated (7:59 a.m.)– Luke Reynolds is officially a PSU player. Reynolds (6-foot-4.5, 220 pounds) is the only five-star of Penn State’s ’24 class, and had a meteoric rise to get there. At the time Reynolds committed to Penn State in late March, he was the 913th-ranked player in the country. Now, he’s the No. 27 overall player and No. 1 tight end. Reynolds is coming to Penn State after a standout career at Cheshire Academy in Westford, Massachusetts. Reynolds was introduced by former Penn State TE Pat Freiermuth.

Update (7:54 a.m.)– Penn State’s signed the first of its two CB from Jacksonville’s Mandarin High School. It’s Jon Mitchell, a four-star, a 6-foot, 177-pounder. Mitchell committed to Penn State in April, days before teammate Antoine Belgrave-Shorter did. 247Sports’ Andrew Ivins did a scouting report on Mitchell in March, weeks before he committed, and described him as a “larger cornerback prospect that can go get the football.”

“Tested in the upper percentile spring before senior season, posting the highest vertical jump at a camp loaded with talent down in South Florida. Also clocked the eighth-fastest 40-yard dash that day, which isn’t surprising given 10th grade track times. Has experience working in both man and off-man coverage. Rather fluid in reverse and has a good understanding of how to establish inside leverage out on the perimeter. Will fight his way through blocks to make a stop in run support and has shown multiple times on tape that he will get across the field to hawk down a ball carrier.”

Mitchell was introduced by current Penn State CB Cam Miller.

Update (7:41 a.m.)– Quinton Martin has signed with Penn State, as introduced by former RB Journey Brown. Martin is a four-star RB from Belle Vernon High School in the Pittsburgh area who committed to Penn State in April. Although Martin’s goal is to play running back, he’s also capable of playing receiver, defensive back or in the return game. He had elite rushing stats this season (1,202 yards, 15 touchdowns), but his receiving stats (54 catches, 753 yards, 11 touchdowns) were stellar, as well, and this is just offense we’re talking about.

Belle Vernon defensive coordinator Brett Berish described Martin as “such an unselfish kid.

“That’s one thing people need to understand the most,” he said. “He’s a team-first guy, and he’s going to do great things at Penn State.”

“I love your entire story, Q,” Franklin told Martin. “You’ve overcome a lot of adversity in your life.”

Update (7:31 a.m.)– Kari Jackson has signed with Penn State. Jackson is a three-star LB from Michigan’s West Bloomfield High School who was introduced by former Penn State safety and current Chicago Bear Jaquan Brisker.

“It’s going to be a great journey that we’re going to be on together,” Franklin told Jackson and his family via Zoom.

 

Update (7:26 a.m.)– Penn State’s next signee was the first one to commit. Cooper Cousins, a four-star, 6-foot-6, 315-pound in-state OL from McDowell High School committed to Penn State in January 2022 when he was still a freshman, and for more than a year, was the only one in the class. 24 joined him, and in the meantime, Cousins continued to progress, developing into the No. 2 interior o-lineman in the country and the No. 2 overall player in the state from his class according to 247Sports. Cousins was introduced by former Penn State center and current Houston Texan Juice Scruggs. 

“You’ve been committed since the sixth grade,” Penn State OL  coach Phil Trautwein joked with Cousins. “It’s going to be awesome.”

 

Update (7:17 a.m.)– Xavier Gilliam is now a Penn State signee. Gilliam is a three-star, 6-foot-3, 265-pound EDGE from Quince Orchard High School in Gaithersburg, Maryland, where he played with fellow PSU commit Jaylen Harvey this season. Gilliam committed to Penn State in June while Harvey did in October. Gilliam told NSN over the summer that he bonded with PSU DL coach Deion Barnes during his recruitment.

“Coach Barnes is super cool,” Gilliam said. “He definitely is a young guy, which in my opinion, is kind of easier to have a young position coach like that because I feel like you can really connect closer. Coach Barnes played at Penn State, so he knows campus better than anybody else. He knows what it’s like, and he’s not one of those coaches that gets too fired up.”

“I appreciate you trusting in me, and let’s make the next four, five years the best of your life,” Barnes told Gilliam and his family via zoom.

 

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