BREAKING: Penn State football tops SEC, ACC contenders for blue chip WR

After suffering a series of setbacks attempting to pick up wide receivers on the recruiting trail throughout July, James Franklin and Penn State football are bouncing back to kick off August. On Sunday, the Nittany Lions earned a commitment from 2025 four-star Koby Howard.

The Chaminade-Madonna Prep (Florida) prospect chose Penn State over in-state Florida and Florida State, as well as Ole Miss.

BREAKING: Four-Star WR Koby Howard has Committed to Penn State, he tells me for @on3recruits

The 6’0 185 WR from Pensacola, FL chose the Nittany Lions over Florida, Florida State, & Ole Miss

“#WeAre 🦁”https://t.co/MkvGwTRNM2 pic.twitter.com/VPjxRzidgI

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) August 4, 2024

Rivals rates Koby Howard as a top-30 receiver in the 2025 recruiting cycle. The newest Nittany Lion falls outside the top 50 at the position in the eyes of On3 and 247Sports, but Howard is still a blue chip prospect in both outlet’s aggregated recruiting rankings.

Before transferring from Western High School last season, Howard caught 65 passes for 1,065 yards and eight touchdowns. He also ran the ball for 224 yards and four scores and threw for 108 yards.

Two out of Howard’s 40+ visits were to Happy Valley, most recently last weekend for Penn State’s annual Lasch Bash.

Kotelnicki: Offseason growth for Penn State receivers is a team effort

© Alex Disabella / Basic Blues Nation, 2024.

The third wide receiver to join the 2025 recruiting class, Koby Howard’s commitment comes on the heels of a difficult month for the Nittany Lions at the position. Since Jeff Exinor committed on June 28, Penn State football has missed on three receivers, most notably top in-state target Lex Cyrus.

Given the play out wide last fall, the pressure is mounting on receivers coach Marques Hagans and his position group to perform in 2024. But speaking at Penn State football media day on Saturday, new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki expressed that the issue is just as much his own.

“Well, when we’re talking about the relationship with the staff, and I guess I would share this about all of them, I think it’s really important that they understand that whatever challenges, obstacles, teaching, coaching, mentoring that they have to do within their position room, like I’m there to help,” Kotelnicki said. “So if there’s an issue, that issue is my issue just as much as it is theirs. And it’s not a finger point; it’s never a, ‘well, it’s your guys that aren’t doing this, or it’s your guys that are,’ right? They’re our guys, right? You know what I mean? So collectively, everyone has to understand that it’s our football team, right?”

However, Kotelnicki was quick to praise the steps made by Hagans and analysts Mark Dupuis and David Parker this offseason.

“I think they’re doing a fantastic job of mentoring and challenging those guys to grow,” he said. “And being teachers, right? And everything that you think about being a good teacher, those guys are embodying, and those guys are doing. It’s a huge credit to them. I think that the receiver room has developed a ton. The receivers have a great relationship with them.

“And I think they recognize, you know, one of Coach Franklin’s goals is, as a team is that we’re incredibly connected right? And that we are truly a team. And I think that starts, you brought up the relationship with the coach, it starts in the staff room. And then it goes into the players. So, player-to-player, coach-to-coach, coach-to-player, player-to-coach, player-to-player. I think that stuff’s all happening. This is where growth can happen.”

Prior to landing Koby Howard, Penn State football had the No. 17 class in the 2025 recruiting cycle.

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