Ex-Penn State football, NFL standout joins recruiting battle for top WR target

James Franklin and Penn State football are getting some assistance from a former star defender as the decision date for one of the program’s top remaining wide receiver targets in the 2025 recruiting cycle grows near. On Tuesday evening, ex-Nittany Lions and current Chicago Bears safety Jaquan Brisker joined the battle for Red Oak (Texas) receiver Taz Williams Jr.

Jaquan Brisker made his pitch to Williams on social media, even encouraging the blue chip wideout to wear his No. 1 jersey for the Nittany Lions.

“Go take over PSU!” Brisker wrote in a quote tweet of Williams’s post regarding his and high school teammate Kamauryn Morgan’s upcoming commitments. “That 1 will look great on you. Go be great #SuperMan1.”

Despite playing his high school football in Texas, Taz Williams is originally from Pittsburgh. Jaquan Brisker also hails from the Steel City, giving the former Nittany Lions safety added interest in this particular recruitment.

Go take over PSU! That 1 will look great on you . Go be Great #SuperMan1 https://t.co/KFQejSB2xp

— Quanny B. (@JaquanBrisker) July 2, 2024

Taz Williams is a four-star in both the 247Sports Composite and the On3 Industry Rankings. Rivals ranks Williams as its No. 25 receiver in the 2025 recruiting cycle.

Where will Taz Williams end up?

Taz Williams will choose between Penn State football, Michigan, Texas A&M, and SMU on July 13.

On3 currently lists Michigan as the frontrunner, with the site’s Director of Recruiting, Chad Simmons, predicting a commitment to the Wolverines in April.

Rivals, on the other hand, leans more in the Nittany Lions’ favor, with multiple predictions of a Penn State commitment logged in the last week.

No predictions have been placed on 247Sports as of Tuesday night.

Who is left on the board for Penn State football at wide receiver?

Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

After securing a significant win with the commitment of top Maryland wide receiver Jeff Exinor on Friday night, Penn State football suffered a tough break coming off the weekend. On Monday, the Nittany Lions missed on four-star receiver Matthew Outten, who committed to Brent Pry and Virginia Tech.

With many of their top remaining targets set to announce in the coming days, James Franklin and the Nittany Lions hope to solidify the receiver position in the 2025 recruiting class heading into mid-July.

Of course, the name at the top of the board for Penn State is the one that has remained there for months: Susquehanna Township’s (Pennsylvania) Lex Cyrus. The top in-state receiver for the 2025 recruiting cycle is expected to announce his decision – a battle between the Nittany Lions and South Carolina – sometime in the next week.

Outside of Taz Williams, another name to keep an eye on is Chaminade-Madonna Prep’s (Florida) Koby Howard. Penn State has been mentioned as a team of interest along with Ole Miss and Florida, although Howard will most likely end up staying close to home in the SEC.

Penn State football currently has the No. 8 class in 247Sports’ 2025 recruiting cycle rankings, while On3 has the Nittany Lions at No. 13 nationally.

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