After a rough patch last week in recruiting, Penn State has hopes of turning it around Friday when four-star defensive lineman Damari โBig Cattโ Simeon announces his decision.
Simeon is rated by On3 as the No. 7 overall defensive lineman in the nation, as well as the No. 3 overall prospect in the state of New Jersey by the On3 Industry rankings.ย
If Penn State were to land Simeon, it would only be the third time since the 2018 cycle that Penn State landed a Top 3 prospect from the Garden State (offensive tackles Caeden Wallace in 2019 and Malachi Goodman in 2025).ย
Simeon has been primarily recruited by defensive line coach Deion Barnes. The rapport Barnes has had with Simeon has aided him to make Penn State his most visited school, visiting four times with the most recent coming back on June 6.
The other finalists for Simeon include Michigan, Ohio State, and Texas. Since the last Penn State visit, Simeon has visited Texas (June 13) and Ohio State (June 20). Simeon last visited Michigan on May 30.
The 6โ3โ 270 pound defensive lineman has played his prep career at St. Augustine Prep in Richland, New Jersey. During Simeonโs junior year, he racked up 28 total tackles (8 solo) with 6.0 tackles for loss.ย
