In recruiting news, Penn State safeties coach and co-defensive coordinator Anthony Poindexter visited a four-star safety prospect.
Poindexter, a University of Virginia legend who grew up in Lynchburg, visited Jaziel Hart, a Class of 2026 star from the North Cross school in Roanoke, which is roughly an hour away.
Hart has been on Penn State’s radar for a while.
The school offered him last June, and since then, he’s visited the school three times. One of them took place Nov. 30, when Hart went to see Penn State’s regular season finale against Maryland at Beaver Stadium.
He plans on coming back for his official visit, scheduled for June 6-8.
WHY HART LIKES PENN STATE
Photo by Matt Lynch, Nittany Sports Now: Terry Smith
In an interview with On3Sports, Hart talked about why he liked Penn State.
Two of the main reasons are head coach James Franklin and cornerbacks coach Terry Smith.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.“That coaching staff is a great one,” Hart said. “They show a lot of loyalty. They’re always in my DMs and always showing me things to better myself in different ways. I get to talk to Coach Franklin consistently, whenever I want to. I can send any of them a text and they’ll text me back. So, the type of loyalty and hospitality that I had down there is great.”
Hart does project as a cornerback, so it’s a good thing for Penn State that he and Smith have developed a bond.
“He’s a great guy,” Hart said. “His energy is never too high or too low,” Hart said. “He always keeps it real with me. In the meetings, he treats all of his guys like his sons. He cares about each and every one of them and how they succeed, not just on the field, but off the field as well.”
THE COMPETITION
Michigan’s Blake Corum celebrates the Wolverine’s victory with fans.
Right now, the biggest competition Penn State has for Hart is Michigan.
“Penn State and Michigan are at the top right now,” Hart said. “They’ve shown intense and consistent loyalty to me. They’ve shown consistent love and hospitality every time I go.”
Penn State currently has one CB committed to its 2026 recruiting class. That would be Julian Peterson (Atco, New Jersey).
