Ex-Penn State football 2025 commit finds new home in the ACC

Just over two months since 2025 recruiting class member safety Omari Gaines decommitted from the Penn State football team, he has found a new home. It’s rare for a player to decommit and then recommit to the same school and it’s never easy losing a prospect that a team worked so hard for. On Tuesday, the former Nittany Lion made his commitment official to one of the newest members of the ACC the Stanford Cardinals.

Ex-Penn State football 2025 commit finds new home in the ACC

With the PAC12 disbanding following the 2023 season several conferences welcomed new teams. The Big Ten now includes Oregon, Washington, UCLA, and USC. The ACC added Cal, SMU, and Stanford. This will take some time to get used to during the 2024 season.

With the conference realignment in college football, the decision for East Coast prospects to commit to West Coast teams became much easier. As many teams out west will have to visit East Coast teams making travel easier for family members.

Omari Gaines from Newark, NJ, and a one-time Penn State football commit has made his decision to go out west and play for Stanford which he announced on social media on Tuesday afternoon.

Beyond Blessed to announce my commitment to The Prestigious Stanford University!🤍❤️ Thankful to @TroyTaylorStanU @CoachBobGregory for believing in me and awarding me this opportunity🙏🏽 #GoCards🌲 #AGTG @CoachPehrson @BigBody_Nas8 @RivalsFriedman @SWiltfong_ @BrianDohn247 #BCL4L pic.twitter.com/bGsNlI8iyb

— OmariGaines🎸 (@omarigaines_) May 7, 2024

Omari Gaines and his timeline

On3 currently ranks Omari Gaines as a three-star safety prospect in the 2025 recruiting class. Standing at 6-2, 185 pounds Gaines is a top 30 prospect in New Jersey and a top 60 safety in the 2025 cycle. The Penn State football team initially offered Gaines in April of 2022.

His commitment came less than a year later on March 28th, 2023 he made his pledge to the Nittany Lions. Stanford offered Gaines in January 2024. Then, on March 1st, 2024 Gaines announced that he would be decommitting from Penn State. Which led to his commitment to Stanford on Tuesday. There are no other safety commitments in the 2025 recruiting class for Penn State at this time.

James Franklin and his coaching staff are now working to ensure that they don’t lose another 2025 recruiting class member in linebacker DJ McClary who has an upcoming official visit to Rutgers at the end of May.

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