Penn State football predicted to top pair of former assistants for Maryland defender

Recruiting wins on the defensive side of the ball have been a fairly consistent theme for Penn State football throughout the summer. That trend is now likely to continue with another valuable pickup for the future of the Nittany Lions front. James Franklin is expected to beat out former assistant coaches Brent Pry at Virginia Tech and Manny Diaz at Duke, among other programs, for 2025 Maryland defensive lineman Yvan Kemajou.

Ryan Snyder of Blue White Illustrated, Penn State’s On3 affiliate, placed a prediction for the Nittany Lions to land Kemajou to close out the week.

In addition to Penn State, Virginia Tech, and Duke, the Paint Branch High School product is also considering Rutgers, Indiana, and Northwestern. He took official visits to all five schools in May and June. Penn State was the only program Kemajou visited twice, also traveling to Happy Valley in January.

Although currently playing defensive end, Yvan Kemajou projects to the interior at the next level. As such, he is rated as the No. 42 and No. 49 defensive lineman in the On3 Industry Rankings and 247Sports Composite, respectively, for the 2025 recruiting cycle.

A top 15 prospect out of Maryland in both rankings, Kemajou is the No. 2 defensive lineman in the state behind former Penn State target and Oklahoma commit Trent Wilson. Kemajou falls outside the top 400 in On3’s and 247Sports’ national rankings.

Where would Yvan Kemajou fit in Penn State football’s new 2025 defensive front?

© Grace Carella / Basic Blues Nation, 2024.

If Yvan Kemajou ultimately becomes a Nittany Lion, the timing was skillfully planned for James Franklin and Penn State football. On Thursday, Penn State’s top defensive line prospect in the 2025 recruiting cycle, edge rusher Max Granville, reclassified to the class of 2024. Granville will join the program for preseason camp next week.

Kemajou would become the fourth defensive line prospect in the class for the Nittany Lions. He would join interior defensive line commit Randy Adirika. With Granville’s reclassification, Jayden Woods and Cortez Harris lead the way at edge.

Penn State football has landed nine defensive commitments in the 2025 recruiting cycle since June 10. The Nittany Lions’ 2025 class currently ranks No. 15 nationally per 247Sports and No. 17, according to On3.

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