In-state four-star RB set to visit for West Virginia game
Recently, Aliquippa (PA) four-star running back Tiqwai Hayes told Happy Valley Insider that he'll be in town for the Nittany Lions' season opener this upcoming Saturday against the West Virginia Mountaineers. Hayes has been to Happy Valley a handful of times in his recruitment while also holding offers from Cincinnati, Louisville, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and West Virginia.
We'll have more on Hayes's recruitment in our Penn State vs. The Field portion of today's NitBits.
Penn State, four-star Michigan commit are still in contact
I recently learned that Penn State is talking to Michigan commitment and Rivals250 prospect Mantrez Walker on a regular basis with defensive coordinator Manny Diaz, often in communication with the Buford, Georgia native. There's definitely notable interest from both sides at this point in the recruitment, but nothing worth watching closely, at least yet. If Walker gets on campus for a visit this fall, things could become a bit interesting. Wouldn't be surprised to perhaps see an official visit next summer, either.
Who has the edge? Penn State or The Field?
Below, we take a look at several in-state prospects in the 2025 recruiting class and go over whether Penn State or The Field has the early edge in their recruitments. These are not official predictions but merely are best guesses based on the information we're hearing.
After talking to a few sources lately, I would definitely classify Penn State as "in the running" for Imhotep Charter defensive end Zahir Mathis. However, I would also say that Penn State has an uphill climb to win this recruitment. There seems to be a strong sense that Mathis will end up heading south to the SEC for his college ball. Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas A&M are among his notable SEC offers. Wouldn't rule out Penn State, but the cards do seem stacked against them early on.
EDGE: THE FIELD
Sacca's recruitment is a tough one to pinpoint at this point in his recruitment. He's a generally quiet kid when it comes to discussing his recruitment. That being said, I do think Penn State holds an early edge here, with Ohio State probably right behind them. This isn't going to be an easy recruitment for the Nittany Lions, and they may very well lose this one, but right now, I do think they have the edge.
EDGE: PENN STATE
We're going to give Penn State the edge for Sharlandiin Strange. Now, this is partially because Zahir Mathis's edge goes to the field right now. Strange is a nice prospect with pretty good length and decent to good size. His recruitment has been a quiet one so far, and we'll see how the rest of the way goes, but I do think this is a recruitment that, if Penn State would end up making a strong push, they'd have a good chance of winning the battle. Boston College, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Texas A&M, USC, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia have all offered the Cheltenham standout as well.
Back to Hayes, really intriguing prospect and a very good running back. I think he likes Penn State a lot, but I'm not sure he ends up in Happy Valley at this point. The Nittany Lions already have Kiandrea Barker committed in the 2025 recruiting class. Where the Nittany Lions go at the position beyond Barker is still up for debate. Hayes is going to announce a top list soon, and I'd expect Penn State to be on that list; that being said, I'm just not sure he'll end up being a take for the Nittany Lions at this point.
PICK: THE FIELD
Burnett is a really nice prospect that I had the pleasure of watching this weekend closely as Imani Christian took on Steelton-Highspire, with ICA falling 42-27 in what was a well-fought matchup. It's easy to see why Burnett is a four-star prospect and one of the best linebackers in the country. When it comes to his recruitment, I think Penn State is a strong favorite over here and has the edge over the rest of the field.
PICK: PENN STATE
A Penn State legacy, this is a recruitment that I would be pretty shocked if Carroll ends up anywhere but Penn State. I think Michigan is the school that can make things interesting based on early reports as well. But until proven otherwise, Penn State has the edge in for Carroll.
PICK: PENN STATE
O"Hara is a prospect who's been high on Penn State for quite a while, and he doesn't seem to be in a rush in his recruitment. That being said, at this point, anytime he takes a visit to Penn State, it's notable and something to watch. Penn State has the edge here; there is little doubt in our minds. So much so that we're putting a FutureCast in for O'Hara.
PICK: PENN STATE
