Michael Van Buren talks Penn State football following Elite 11 event

The 2024 Penn State football recruiting class is starting to take shape, with several of the Nittany Lions’ top targets leaning towards committing. However, the team is currently in a peculiar situation regarding quarterback recruitment. While there are solid targets, such as Samaj Jones of Pennsylvania, still available, Penn State is still pursuing Michael Van Buren, their top QB target in the 2024 class, despite recent momentum in favor of the Oregon Ducks.

Following the Elite 11 event in Eugene, OR, SBLive caught up with the four-star composite quarterback to discuss the top three teams he will choose from on decision day: Oregon, Maryland, and Penn State. Here is what the Nittany Lions’ top 2024 quarterback target had to say about PSU.

Penn State football recruiting: Michael Van Buren talks PSU football and more

For a while, Penn State football seemed to be the leading school in Michael Van Buren’s recruitment. However, that changed after Oregon had a momentum-shifting visit, propelling the Ducks to the top spot in his recruitment at the moment. Nonetheless, a lot can change between now and Van Buren’s commitment date, which is scheduled for early July.

“[Penn State was] one of the first people to jump into my recruitment, so that relationship, that’s strong, and it’s been going on for a little while. I’ve been up there (to State College) a good amount of times, so my relationship [with the coaching staff] is very strong.”

As Van Buren is a major national target for some of the nation’s top programs, he has been in the spotlight for quite some time now. Nevertheless, the young four-star QB target claims that he typically disregards the media and will inform everyone when he has made a final decision on where he will play college football.

“I don’t pay that much attention to the media stuff,” Van Buren said. “I just like to play ball, worry about my recruitment, and get stuff done that I need to get done.”

When asked about whom he is closest with at Penn State football, Van Buren had three specific names in mind: Coach Franklin, Coach Yurcich, and Coach O’Brien. For the full interview — including soundbites on Maryland, Oregon, the recruiting process, and more — make sure to check out the full SBLive interview.

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