Penn State target named “recruit of the weekend” at Under Armour All-America camp

In recent years, Penn State has excelled at recruiting elite running back talent. From Saquon Barkley, Miles Sanders, and Journey Brown to Nick Singleton, Kaytron Allen, and London Montgomery, the Nittany Lions have brought some of the best running backs in the region to Happy Valley. It doesn’t appear that James Franklin and his staff will be slowing down soon, with several talented tailbacks already committed in the 2024 and 2025 cycles and additional prospects still on the recruiting big board. One of these uncommitted prospects, four-star running back Dilin Jones, made his mark at a recent Under Armour All-America camp, being called the “recruit of the weekend” by one of 247Sports’ top talent evaluators.

Dilin Jones named “recruit of the weekend” at Under Armour All-America camp in Baltimore

Dilin Jones is a consensus four-star running back out of Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Olney, Maryland. The 5-11, 180-pound prospect is considered a top-five player in the state of Maryland and a top-15 running back in the class of 2024. As a junior, Jones was named the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Player of the Year after averaging almost 10 yards per carry last season.

Jones participated in last weekend’s Under Armour All-America Camp Series in Baltimore. A collection of some of the better talent in the Mid-Atlantic region, Jones stood out among the pack. Andrew Ivins of 247Sports even called Jones the “recruit of the weekend” for his performance in skill drills.

“It was a deep and talented group of mid-skill players Sunday. Jones, however, had what we thought was the best performance of the bunch,” Ivins wrote in his piece on 247Sports. “He gave linebackers fits during 1-on-1s as he used his elite burst and sharp cuts to create separation before hauling in touchdown pass after touchdown pass.” Ivins went on to note that Jones clocked one of the fastest times during the camp’s three-cone drill, and he moved through positional drills with ease.

Will Jones join the Penn State 2024 recruiting class?

Whether or not you think Penn State will land Dilin Jones likely depends on which recruiting service you follow most closely. Two of the most prominent outlets, 247Sports and On3, disagree as to Jones’s current leanings. On3 has Penn State as the leader in landing Jones, while 247Sports doesn’t even list the Nittany Lions as one of the running back’s top schools.

Following this weekend’s event, Jones noted that Florida State, Maryland, Virginia Tech, and Wisconsin were among his top contenders, with no mention of Penn State. Jones has visits lined up with Wisconsin and Florida State in June, but hasn’t returned to Penn State since he visited for the Ohio State game last fall.

If Penn State is fading in Jones’s recruitment, it’s for a good reason. The Nittany Lions have Quinton Martin, the No.1 ranked recruit in Pennsylvania, and Corey Smith, one of the top players from Wisconsin, committed in the class of 2024. James Franklin also has four-star Kiandrea Barker committed for the 2025 cycle. This, on top of the talent already on the roster, makes for a very crowded running back room.

But there is reason to keep an eye on this recruitment. Running back depth seems to be all or nothing in recent years. If Singleton and Allen continue developing as many expect, they likely won’t be in Happy Valley much longer. Further, Quinton Martin has the versatility to line up in spots outside of the backfield.

Most importantly, recruiting can be fickle, and there’s still a long way to go before signing day. Staying in the loop with a rising regional prospect will bring nothing but positives for James Franklin and company.

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