Today, top 100 recruit Nick Marsh announced his five remaining finalists and the Nittany Lions made the cut. As of late, the Penn State football recruiting efforts have been heating up when it comes to Marsh, and today’s news is yet another step in the right direction for the Lions.
Marques Hagans boosting the Penn State football recruiting efforts
The Blue and White have a new wide receiver coach for the 2023 season. The Nittany Lions moved on from Taylor Stubblefield, who coached from 2020 to 2022. It was a somewhat surprising move, as Stubblefield was a highly talented recruiter and developed skilled receivers like Jahan Dotson, Parker Washington, and KeAndre Lambert-Smith. Penn State has now replaced “Stubbs” with Marques Hagans.
Marques Hagans played wide receiver at the University of Virginia. As a fifth-round draft pick who spent a short time in the NFL, Hagans returned to his alma mater as a graduate assistant. He coached wide receivers from 2013 to 2022. In February, Hagans took the Penn State job, where he will have the opportunity to develop higher-ranked recruits in Happy Valley.
As in every coach hire, it takes time to develop rapport with recruits at your new school. Hagans has quickly become integrated with his new staff and team. On Thursday, Hagans got good news regarding top-100-ranked wide receiver, Nick Marsh.
Nittany Lions trending for Nick Marsh, named a finalist on Thursday
Nick Marsh, the 99th-ranked recruit in the 247 Sports Composite ranking in the class of 2024, has listed Penn State in his top five schools. Penn State joins Kansas, Michigan State, Oregon, and Pitt as finalists for the talented wide receiver.
Marsh stands at 6 feet 3 inches and weighs 200 pounds. In addition to football, he also competes in track and field and basketball, showcasing tremendous athletic ability despite his large frame. It’s worth noting that the Michigan State insider’s crystal ball prediction for Marsh was made on October 30, 2021, almost two years ago, so the recruitment landscape has likely changed since then. Being from Michigan, the Spartans may have an advantage in recruiting him.
Marsh could be a class-defining commitment for Penn State
Marques Hagans, who would serve as Marsh’s wide receiver coach if he chooses Penn State, is leading the efforts in recruiting Marsh. ON3 gives Penn State football an 81.3% chance of landing Marsh.
Securing a commitment from Marsh would be significant for Hagans as it would be one of his first commitments, and it would bring a highly talented receiver to a team that has not historically had great wide receivers. Marsh has been compared to Calvin Johnson and N’Keal Harry, both of whom were first-round picks in the NFL draft.
Penn State football will discover its fate with Marsh when he announces his commitment on July 7.
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