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Penn State Offers 2025 4-Star QB from CA

Could a westward expansion soon be possible for the Nittany Lions on the recruiting trail?

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2025 4-Star QB
Sep 17, 2022; Auburn, Alabama, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin watches his team before the game against the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

STATE COLLEGE, PA — Penn State football ended a busy week on the recruiting trail with a massive visitor’s day on Saturday. More than 60 prospects visited Happy Valley this weekend to meet with James Franklin and the football staff. For one high-level prospect, the cross-country trip was not made in vain. Bekkem Kritza, a 2025 4-star QB prospect, returned to California with an offer from Penn State in hand.

Penn State Offers 2025 4-Star QB Bekkem Kritza

Bekkem Kritza is the No. 61 overall rated prospect in the country for the class of 2025, according to the On3 Consensus Database. The 3 major recruiting evaluators – 247 Sports, Rivals, and On3 – all rate Kritza as a 4-star recruit. The 6-5 195-pound Santa Margarita Catholic prospect is currently ranked as the 10th-best player in California and the 7th-best QB in the class.

Kritza was in State College as a visitor for an expansive recruiting weekend, with prospects attending from all over the country. On Saturday afternoon, Kritza announced on his social media that he had received a Penn State offer after speaking with James Franklin, offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich, and offensive analyst Danny O’Brien.

James Franklin Will Have to Work to Land Kritza

Although Krtiza’s offer list is still small, serious competition exists for the 4-star QB’s talents. The Nittany Lions join Texas A&M, Colorado, Colorado State, Miami, and Kansas as the programs to offer Kritza.

There is still plenty of time in the 2025 cycle, which is good if James Franklin and Mike Yurcich want to make Kritza a member of their recruiting class. Currently, On3 has Kritza as a 49% lead to Texas A&M, with Colorado and Colorado State coming in at 15% and 13%, respectively. Penn State and Miami have an 11% chance of landing the California QB.

Westward Expansion?

Realistically, I’d say that Penn State’s chances of receiving a commitment from Kritza are slim. The Nittany Lions are slowly expanding their national recruiting footprint to the West Coast. James Franklin even landed Washington offensive lineman Vega Ioane in the class of 2022. But Penn State has not traditionally experienced the same presence out West for skill position players as have programs like Ohio StateAlabama, and Clemson.

But, with momentum building on the recruiting trail and on the field, it’s possible that the traditional trend could soon change for the Nittany Lions. If James Franklin can get the Lions to live up to expectations in 2023, it’s only natural for the national buzz around the program to grow.

Plus, with USC and UCLA set to join the Big Ten in 2024, Penn State will soon receive exposure out West like it never has before. Suddenly, the distance may feel like less of a factor to West Coast recruits, especially if Penn State remains to be a top-5 or top-10 program nationally.

They’re certainly not there yet, but Westward expansion may soon be coming for James Franklin and the Nittany Lions.



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BREAKING: Penn State football lands top 10 prospect in PA

Brady O’Hara a top 10 prospect in PA commits to Penn State.

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Penn State Football, top 10 prospect in Pennsylvania, Brady O'Hara
Oct 19, 2019; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Pat Freiermuth (87) reacts to a touchdown run by quarterback Sean Clifford (14) against the Michigan Wolverines during the second quarter at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY S

The Penn State football team has now gone three straight days a landing a commitment. Brady O’Hara has made his commitment to the Nittany Lions. He is a top 10 prospect in Pennsylvania. The 2025 class has added DJ McClary and Tiqwai Hayes in the past two days. Both players are part of Penn State’s 2025 recruiting class. The impact of the whiteout continues to prove its value on the recruiting trail.

Penn State football lands top 10 prospect in PA

Brady O’Hara is a four-star recruit in the 2025 class and he plays his high school football at North Catholic High School located in Pittsburgh, PA. He held offers from Wisconsin, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, UConn, and Penn State. Then, on Tuesday morning he announced his commitment to Penn State on his social media channels.

O’Hara is currently ranked as the No. 8 prospect in Pennsylvania.

Brady O’Hara plays both sides of the ball

O’Hara is listed as an athlete on 247sports because he plays both tight end and defensive end. It will be interesting to see what position he will choose to play when he gets on campus. But after watching Tyler Warren and Chop Robinson on Saturday night either position would fit him well.

Either way, he has shown that he can be successful regardless of where he lines up on the field. He can be a great red zone target or a dominant defensive end. Both positions at Penn State have developed well over the years which helped their case land this top 10 prospect in Pennsylvania.



Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and insights on your favorite Penn State athletics. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email us at [email protected] or direct message us on our social media. Also, be sure to check out our new site shop. It’s due to your support that we can become one of the market’s fastest-growing Penn State sports outlets!

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BREAKING: Penn State football earns commitment from 4-star RB from PA

The Penn State football team has gone back-to-back days landing commitments. As they add another 4-star prospect to the 2025 recruiting class.

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Penn State football, Tiqwai Hayes, 2025 recruiting
Iowa linebacker Jay Higgins tackles Penn State running back Nick Singleton near the line of scrimmage during the White Out game at Beaver Stadium Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, in State College, Pa.

After a successful whiteout game where the Penn State football team handled its business, recruiting is picking back up. Yesterday, the Nittany Lions earned a commitment from Top 100 linebacker DJ McClary. Now, James Franklin and his coaching staff go back to back days landing a commitment. The 2025 recruiting class has just earned a new member, Tiqwai Hayes.

Penn State football earns commitment from 4-star RB from PA

Last week Tiqwai Hayes received a crystal ball predicting him to land at Penn State. Today, he made that prediction become reality as he made his commitment to the Penn State football team. Hayes is a four-star prospect from Aliquippa, PA in the 2025 recruiting class according to 247sports. He attends Aliquippa High School where he has made an outstanding name for himself.

Tiqwai Hayes chose Penn State over Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Maryland, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, and several other schools. His nickname is “Tikey” according to his Twitter/X profile and he rushed for 2,011 yards and 33 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2022.

Penn State currently has the 9th-best class in the 2025 recruiting cycle. With the addition of Hayes that should increase the Nittany Lions’ position. He will join KiAndrea Barker as the other running back commitment in this class, a theme we have seen for years. Ja’Juan Seider likes to have a pair of running backs in each cycle and he has done that yet again. In 2022 it was Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Then, in 2023 it was London Montgomery and Cam Wallace. Currently, in 2024 it’s Quinton Martin and Corey Smith. Now, in 2025 it’s KiAndrea Barker and Tiqwai Hayes.



Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and insights on your favorite Penn State athletics. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email us at [email protected] or direct message us on our social media. Also, be sure to check out our new site shop. It’s due to your support that we can become one of the market’s fastest-growing Penn State sports outlets!

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Penn State commit, No. 1 player in Pennsylvania putting athleticism on display this fall

Penn State commit and No. 1 player in Pennsylvania Quinton Martin has been putting his speed and athleticism on full display.

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Oct 20, 2018; Bloomington, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions running back Miles Sanders (24) runs the ball during the first quarter of the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium . Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

Speed kills in college football. In recent months, Penn State football players present and future have made headlines for remarkable speed and athleticism on and off the field. The most recent to do so is Penn State commit and No. 1 player in Pennsylvania in the class of 2024, Quinton Martin. Over the last several weeks, Martin has proven his four-star pedigree with flashes of athleticism on both sides of the football.

Penn State commit, No. 1 player in Pennsylvania Quinton Martin flashes athleticism

Quinton Martin made headlines across the state when he committed to Penn State football back in April. Since then, the four-star prospect and No. 1 player in Pennsylvania has validated his top evaluation with his play on the field.

Martin went off for a four-score performance for Belle Vernon High School at the start of his senior season earlier this month. Now, Quinton Martin is back in the headlines again with his feats of athleticism on both offense and defense.

Last week, Martin was clocked hitting a top speed of 19.1 mph on a 40-yard touchdown run. Reel Analytics, the sports analytics firm that posted the evaluation on social media, uses AI to rate player performance. “The Nittany Lions will add a versatile athlete on their roster on signing day,” the post said of Martin.

Quinton Martin is clearly using this speed to make plays on both sides of the ball. In last week’s game, Martin flashed his athleticism on defense, coming up with a critical 4th quarter interception to seal Belle Vernon’s win.

Despite a loss to Thomas Jefferson on Friday night, Martin was a critical playmaker again for Belle Vernon. Often compared to the Deebo Samuel of the San Franciso 49ers, Martin has shown time and again that he can make plays anywhere on the football field.

Penn State football has some serious speed

Quinton Martin isn’t the only Nittany Lion making headlines for his athleticism. In July, Reel Analytics posted another video of Penn State commit Corey Smith, who had the fastest in-game speed the company ever recorded for a high school athlete.

Penn State football has some serious speed on its current roster as well. Last week, CB coach Terry Smith praised true freshman Elliot Washington II, who broke the program’s speed record using GPS.

One thing is for certain, Penn State football has recruited the speed to compete at the national level. We’ll see how that speed translates to the field in the years to come.



Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and insights on your favorite Penn State athletics. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email us at [email protected] or direct message us on our social media. Also, be sure to check out our new site shop. It’s due to your support that we can become one of the market’s fastest-growing Penn State sports outlets!

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