Committany Nation: Junior Day Preview

The Nittany Lions are off to a hot start on their 2018 class, and they’ll look to build on that class this weekend. Let’s take a look to see who’s visiting.

2018 Visitors

• WR Jasiah Provillon: Good-looking athlete from New Jersey, Provillon landed his Penn State offer last May, and was most recently on campus for the Michigan State game. With the Nittany Lions already having Justin Shorter in the fold, and sitting in a very good spot for Daniel George, it remains to be seen where Provillon falls on Penn State’s wide receiver big board.
• TE Zack Kuntz: The only Penn State commit scheduled to be in Happy Valley this weekend is the Central Pa. tight end. Along with Justin Fields, he’s one of the leaders of the class, and should spend the day working on the other uncommitted prospects.
• OT Nana Asiedu: At 6-foot-6, 265 pounds, they don’t build offensive tackles much better than Asiedu. Clemson leads for the Virginia big man, but Penn State will have a chance this weekend to turn the tides. Expect the Nittany Lions to roll out the red carpet for Asiedu, who very well may be a Top 10 player overall on James Franklin’s big board.
• DE/DT Dorian Hardy: Another Jersey prospect, Hardy will be back at Penn State for the first time since he was in attendance for the Lasch Bash. Alabama was once viewed as the leader, but the Nittany Lions are making up ground, with 247’s Steve Wiltfong putting in his Crystal Ball for Penn State. Hardy’s a big kid with a great frame, so at 6-foot-5, 245 pounds he has the potential to be a very big defensive end or even 3-Tech defensive tackle.
• DT Tyler Friday: Make it three top Jersey kids, as Don Bosco Prep’s Tyler Friday will be in Happy Valley too. Friday doesn’t have any listed previous visits to Penn State, so this will be a big weekend for Franklin and Sean Spencer to make an impression. Michigan and Ohio State are probably the two teams out in front right now, so his recruitment definitely has a Big Ten feel.
• LB Xavier Peters: Since James Franklin took over at Penn State, he’s made a pretty concerted effort to hit Ohio harder in recruiting. That effort is starting to payoff, as the Nittany Lions will host four-star Xavier Peters. Kentucky and the Nittany Lions lead at this point, but an Ohio State offer could change everything.
• Saf. Kwantel Raines: The top defensive prospect in the WPIAL, Raines will be back in State College this weekend. This continues to be a Pitt, West Virginia, and Penn State battle, and I doubt that changes much throughout his recruitment. The Nittany Lions would obviously love to finish out their safety class with Raines and Isheem Young.

2019 Visitors

• RB Devyn Ford: The soon-to-be five-star running back is teammates with Asiedu. Still very early in his recruitment, but Charles Huff has shown he can land elite Virginia running backs.
• WR DeMarcco Hellams: The DeMatha wideout landed his Penn State offer just a couple days ago, and will turnaround and visit Happy Valley this weekend.
• DT Antonio Alfano: Alfano visited last summer for the Lasch Bash, and was in town for two games last season, so the New Jersey defensive tackle is no stranger to State College. Penn State is sitting very well here, but like all 2019 prospects, there’s a ways to go.
• DT Jacob Lacey: A Top 50 recruit overall according to 247, the Kentucky defensive tackle will be making the trek to Happy Valley. He’s still without a Penn State offer, but that could change this weekend.
• LB Shane Lee: The top inside linebacker in 2019 according to 247, Lee will be back at Penn State for his second visit; his first visit being for the Ohio State game. Might grow into a defensive end, but either way, he’s an elite prospect.
• CB Nyquee Hawkins: Hawkins is in the same boat as Alfano — he’s visited Happy Valley multiple times, and very well could end up in the 2019 class. Doubtful that he pops this weekend, though.

So Who Commits?

Probably nobody. The Nittany Lions have already landed the Penn State “leans” in the 2018 class, so this weekend will be more used for building those relationships, rather than pushing for commitments. And as for 2019, it’s much of the same. Sure, guys like Alfano and Hawkins like Penn State a lot, but it’s hard to see them committing this early.