Penn State football locks in official visit with top 2025 WR from deep in SEC territory

Penn State football continues to grow its official visitor list for the 2025 recruiting cycle, adding multiple top prospects to the calendar for the spring and summer months in recent days. On Monday, James Franklin and the Nittany Lions locked up a June visit with one of their top targets on the offensive side of the ball: four-star wide receiver Taz Williams Jr. The Nittany Lions are delving deep into the heart of SEC country in this recruitment, but are hoping the Texas pass catcher’s western Pennsylvania roots will help attract him to Happy Valley.

Penn State football lands official visit with Texas wide receiver Taz Williams Jr.

On Monday, Red Oak wide receiver Taz Williams Jr. became the latest 2025 prospect to announce an official visit date with the Penn State football program. The four-star recruit will make the trip to Happy Valley this summer, visiting with James Franklin and the Nittany Lions coaching staff from June 14-16. The visit will be Williams’ second to Penn State, previously making the trip north in January.

#HappyValley 🦁@coachjfranklin @coachmhagans @PennStateFball pic.twitter.com/dnjLUVc90P

— 𝑇𝑎𝑧 𝑊𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑚$ 𝐽𝑟 (@Taz_1x) March 26, 2024

Taz Williams Jr. hauled in 80 passes for 1,251 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior last fall. The 5-11, 181-pound pass catcher is a top 300 prospect and the No. 32 wide receiver in the 2025 recruiting class, per the 247Sports composite rankings.

Although playing for Red Oak in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Williams has deep ties to western Pennsylvania, as his father is originally from Pittsburgh. Still, Penn State football will have stiff competition for the four-star prospect, with 54 programs extending offers to date. Both SEC teams in Texas — Texas and Texas A&M — are thought to be in the mix, having been to both schools multiple times.

Along with Penn State, Taz Williams Jr. has five other visits scheduled for this summer: SMU, USC, Ohio State, Texas A&M, and Michigan.

Nittany Lions holding firm in 2025 recruiting cycle

Despite not adding a commitment in over a month, James Franklin and Penn State football continue to hold firm in the 2025 recruiting cycle. According to 247Sports, the Nittany Lions still have the No. 5 class nationally.

Penn State currently has one wide receiver pledged for 2025, Erasmus Hall’s (New York) Lyrick Samuel. A three-star, Samuel is 247Sports’ No. 2 overall prospect out of the Empire State. The Nittany Lions are also expected to land Pennsylvania’s top pass catcher in the 2025 recruiting cycle, Lex Cyrus.

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