Penn State Football Recruiting Roundup: March 14, 2017

Welcome back to VBR’s weekly look at all things Penn State Football recruiting

In the world of college football, recruiting never ends. In the past week or two the news in the world of Penn State Football recruiting has slowed down. However, it has not died.

After a one week hiatus, welcome back to my weekly look at Penn State Football recruiting here at Victory Bell Rings. Welcome to the weekly recruiting roundup.

An Almost Tuesday Visitor

Penn State was slated to host one of their biggest targets in the class of 2018 today. That visitor was four-star defensive lineman Tyreke Smith. However, due to the bad weather forecaster for today he is no longer visiting.

Tyreke Smith has not visited any school since his last visit to Penn State. This visit took place back on December 10. Since then, Smith has picked up an offer from his in-state Ohio State Buckeyes.

Right now the Nittany Lions are in a good spot in Smith’s recruitment. The Nittany Lions, Buckeyes, and Notre Dame have separated themselves from the pack, and Penn State and Ohio State are probably his top two schools.

The key for James Franklin and his staff is to get Tyreke Smith back on campus. Hopefully, that will happen soon. During his next visit to Happy Valley the Nittany Lions will have a chance to make a big move in Smith’s recruitment.

QB Commit Invited To All-American Game

Last Thursday, Penn State quarterback commit Justin Fields was invited to play in the U.S. Army All-American Game. The Army All-American Game is one of the most prestigious high school football all-star games in the country.

This invite comes as no surprise. Justin Fields is not just one of the best quarterback recruits in the country in the 2018 recruiting cycle, but one of the best players in the country regardless of position.

According to 247 Sports composite ratings, Fields is the third best dual threat quarterback in the country for the 2018 recruiting cycle. Additionally, he checks in as the 34th best player in the country overall.

Now Justin Fields will get to play in the U.S. Army All-American Game on New Year’s Day 2018. This will give him an opportunity to showcase his talents for the entire country, while also bringing some very good PR to the Nittany Lions.

Penn State Makes The Cut

Last week, three-star wide receiver Darryle Simmons released a top six. Unsurprisingly, this top six included the Nittany Lions.

The other schools in the top six for Simmons are Maryland, North Carolina, Syracuse, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, West Virginia. Simmons attends St. Joe’s Prep in Philadelphia, and he last visited Penn State for junior day last month. Since then, he has also been to Knoxville for the Volunteers’ junior day.

Odds are, Simmons is not currently a take for the Nittany Lions. Penn State already has wide receiver Justin Shorter committed in their 2018 recruiting class, and may only take one more receiver. Right now the Nittany Lions have other wide receiver targets ahead of Simmons on their board.

However, if Simmons becomes a take for Penn State at any point and the Nittany Lions push for him they will be nearly impossible to beat. Rather or not Simmons has a spot in this recruiting class probably will not be known for a few months.

Next: What Does The future Hold For Beaver Stadium?

That will do it for this week. As the weather improves and spring practices begin, recruiting news will begin to heat up again as more players start to take visits. As always, stay tuned here at VBR for all the latest news in the world of Penn State Football recruiting.