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Penn State football facing important visit with top 20 linebacker next weekend

Penn State football is trending with a top 20 linebacker ahead of his pending official visit.

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Penn State football recruiting, Chris Cole, official visit
Aug 31, 2019; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Brandon Smith (12) reacts after sacking Idaho Vandals quarterback Mason Petrino (8) during the third quarter at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Idaho 79-7. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports

Next weekend will kick off the official visit slate for the 2024 Penn State football recruiting efforts. With tons of momentum, including 14 commits and the 7th-ranked overall class, the Nittany Lions appear to be in good shape for the time being. From June 2nd-4th, a number of the nation’s top recruits will be in State College. However, one stands out at first glance: 2024 four-star linebacker Chris Cole out of Salem High School in Virginia.

Penn State football recruiting trending with four-star linebacker

Penn State football boasts the prestigious title of “Linebacker U,” and for good reason. Over the years, including the James Franklin era, few schools (if any) have produced NFL-ready linebackers the way the Nittany Lions have. In fact, current sophomore linebacker Abdul Carter appears to be next in line to establish himself among the greats to play linebacker in the Blue and White.

Next weekend, Penn State football has a huge opportunity with four-star linebacker Chris Cole, who is currently a Virginia Tech lean according to the Recruiting Prediction Machine. Still, the Nittany Lions are close behind and could establish themselves as a top contender with a successful official visit.

According to the ON3 industry rankings, Cole is a four-star linebacker target, ranking as the No. 189 recruit in the country, the No. 20 linebacker in his class, and the No. 3 recruit in the state of Virginia.

The good news for the Nittany Lions ahead of official visit season

The good news for Penn State football is that no one does official visits like James Franklin and his coaching staff. One of the things that gives Penn State an edge during this time of year is Franklin’s ability to get high-profile recruits on campus and lock down major interest. If the Nittany Lions can work some of that magic this weekend, Cole may wind up in the Blue and White, just like many great linebackers before him.



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BREAKING: Penn State football lands top 10 prospect in PA

Brady O’Hara a top 10 prospect in PA commits to Penn State.

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Penn State Football, top 10 prospect in Pennsylvania, Brady O'Hara
Oct 19, 2019; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Pat Freiermuth (87) reacts to a touchdown run by quarterback Sean Clifford (14) against the Michigan Wolverines during the second quarter at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY S

The Penn State football team has now gone three straight days a landing a commitment. Brady O’Hara has made his commitment to the Nittany Lions. He is a top 10 prospect in Pennsylvania. The 2025 class has added DJ McClary and Tiqwai Hayes in the past two days. Both players are part of Penn State’s 2025 recruiting class. The impact of the whiteout continues to prove its value on the recruiting trail.

Penn State football lands top 10 prospect in PA

Brady O’Hara is a four-star recruit in the 2025 class and he plays his high school football at North Catholic High School located in Pittsburgh, PA. He held offers from Wisconsin, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, UConn, and Penn State. Then, on Tuesday morning he announced his commitment to Penn State on his social media channels.

O’Hara is currently ranked as the No. 8 prospect in Pennsylvania.

Brady O’Hara plays both sides of the ball

O’Hara is listed as an athlete on 247sports because he plays both tight end and defensive end. It will be interesting to see what position he will choose to play when he gets on campus. But after watching Tyler Warren and Chop Robinson on Saturday night either position would fit him well.

Either way, he has shown that he can be successful regardless of where he lines up on the field. He can be a great red zone target or a dominant defensive end. Both positions at Penn State have developed well over the years which helped their case land this top 10 prospect in Pennsylvania.



Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and insights on your favorite Penn State athletics. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email us at [email protected] or direct message us on our social media. Also, be sure to check out our new site shop. It’s due to your support that we can become one of the market’s fastest-growing Penn State sports outlets!

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BREAKING: Penn State football earns commitment from 4-star RB from PA

The Penn State football team has gone back-to-back days landing commitments. As they add another 4-star prospect to the 2025 recruiting class.

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Penn State football, Tiqwai Hayes, 2025 recruiting
Iowa linebacker Jay Higgins tackles Penn State running back Nick Singleton near the line of scrimmage during the White Out game at Beaver Stadium Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, in State College, Pa.

After a successful whiteout game where the Penn State football team handled its business, recruiting is picking back up. Yesterday, the Nittany Lions earned a commitment from Top 100 linebacker DJ McClary. Now, James Franklin and his coaching staff go back to back days landing a commitment. The 2025 recruiting class has just earned a new member, Tiqwai Hayes.

Penn State football earns commitment from 4-star RB from PA

Last week Tiqwai Hayes received a crystal ball predicting him to land at Penn State. Today, he made that prediction become reality as he made his commitment to the Penn State football team. Hayes is a four-star prospect from Aliquippa, PA in the 2025 recruiting class according to 247sports. He attends Aliquippa High School where he has made an outstanding name for himself.

Tiqwai Hayes chose Penn State over Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Maryland, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, and several other schools. His nickname is “Tikey” according to his Twitter/X profile and he rushed for 2,011 yards and 33 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2022.

Penn State currently has the 9th-best class in the 2025 recruiting cycle. With the addition of Hayes that should increase the Nittany Lions’ position. He will join KiAndrea Barker as the other running back commitment in this class, a theme we have seen for years. Ja’Juan Seider likes to have a pair of running backs in each cycle and he has done that yet again. In 2022 it was Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Then, in 2023 it was London Montgomery and Cam Wallace. Currently, in 2024 it’s Quinton Martin and Corey Smith. Now, in 2025 it’s KiAndrea Barker and Tiqwai Hayes.



Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and insights on your favorite Penn State athletics. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email us at [email protected] or direct message us on our social media. Also, be sure to check out our new site shop. It’s due to your support that we can become one of the market’s fastest-growing Penn State sports outlets!

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Penn State commit, No. 1 player in Pennsylvania putting athleticism on display this fall

Penn State commit and No. 1 player in Pennsylvania Quinton Martin has been putting his speed and athleticism on full display.

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Oct 20, 2018; Bloomington, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions running back Miles Sanders (24) runs the ball during the first quarter of the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium . Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

Speed kills in college football. In recent months, Penn State football players present and future have made headlines for remarkable speed and athleticism on and off the field. The most recent to do so is Penn State commit and No. 1 player in Pennsylvania in the class of 2024, Quinton Martin. Over the last several weeks, Martin has proven his four-star pedigree with flashes of athleticism on both sides of the football.

Penn State commit, No. 1 player in Pennsylvania Quinton Martin flashes athleticism

Quinton Martin made headlines across the state when he committed to Penn State football back in April. Since then, the four-star prospect and No. 1 player in Pennsylvania has validated his top evaluation with his play on the field.

Martin went off for a four-score performance for Belle Vernon High School at the start of his senior season earlier this month. Now, Quinton Martin is back in the headlines again with his feats of athleticism on both offense and defense.

Last week, Martin was clocked hitting a top speed of 19.1 mph on a 40-yard touchdown run. Reel Analytics, the sports analytics firm that posted the evaluation on social media, uses AI to rate player performance. “The Nittany Lions will add a versatile athlete on their roster on signing day,” the post said of Martin.

Quinton Martin is clearly using this speed to make plays on both sides of the ball. In last week’s game, Martin flashed his athleticism on defense, coming up with a critical 4th quarter interception to seal Belle Vernon’s win.

Despite a loss to Thomas Jefferson on Friday night, Martin was a critical playmaker again for Belle Vernon. Often compared to the Deebo Samuel of the San Franciso 49ers, Martin has shown time and again that he can make plays anywhere on the football field.

Penn State football has some serious speed

Quinton Martin isn’t the only Nittany Lion making headlines for his athleticism. In July, Reel Analytics posted another video of Penn State commit Corey Smith, who had the fastest in-game speed the company ever recorded for a high school athlete.

Penn State football has some serious speed on its current roster as well. Last week, CB coach Terry Smith praised true freshman Elliot Washington II, who broke the program’s speed record using GPS.

One thing is for certain, Penn State football has recruited the speed to compete at the national level. We’ll see how that speed translates to the field in the years to come.



Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and insights on your favorite Penn State athletics. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email us at [email protected] or direct message us on our social media. Also, be sure to check out our new site shop. It’s due to your support that we can become one of the market’s fastest-growing Penn State sports outlets!

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