Meet The 2023 Class: DE Jameial Lyons

BSD’s recruiting staff sat down for a roundtable on each prospect Penn State signed in the 2023 class. Coming in at No. 7 was four-star defensive end Jameial Lyons.

What makes you excited about Jameial Lyons?

“Lyons is one of the few guys who looks bigger than his listed height. Penn State has him at 6-foot-4, which I’m sure is true, but on-the-field he looks closer to 6-foot-6 given his huge frame and super long arms. It’s a big reason why there’s some belief that he could play defensive tackle; there’s just a lot of body there that still has a ton of room to grow.

For me with Lyons, I think he’s a better athlete than given credit for. I think he’s pretty raw as a football player and because of that, he doesn’t jump out as an elite athlete. But I think there are flashes of top-tier athleticism that can be pulled out more consistently once he’s in Penn State’s strength and conditioning program.

I generally hate player comparisons, but there’s some Jesse Luketa in his game. Violent defensive end that maybe will leave something to be desired as a pure pass rusher, but someone who is great against the run. The nice part about Lyons though, is that he’ll have a solid 15-20 pounds on Luketa when all is said and done.” --Patrick

What worries you about Jameial Lyons?

“I wonder where he ends up in Manny Diaz’s defense, either as a DE or DT. I think as a smaller DT he could get lost in the shuffle, but I think he has a lot of upside as a run stopping strong side defensive end. Doesn’t possess the best first step so could come off the field or move inside on obvious pass downs.” --Clay

Do you think Jameial Lyons will be redshirted next season? Around what point of his career do you think he pushes for meaningful playing time?

“Lyons will get his four games next season against the likes of Delaware, UMass, and Rutgers, but he will be headed for a redshirt. Lyons could conceivably be physically ready to play but with Penn State’s defensive end depth it will not be needed. Year two or three should see Lyons really start to blossom for the Nittany Lions.” --Marty

What do you think is the most realistic outcome for Jameial Lyons: depth provider, rotational/one-year starter, multi-year starter, all-conference, or all-american?

Clay: Multi-year starter
Marty: Multi-year starter
Patrick: Multi-year starter

Lastly, where do you have Jameial Lyons ranked in Penn State’s class?

Clay: No. 8
Marty: No. 7
Patrick: No. 6