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Wish List: 5 Targets for Penn State Football in the 2023 Cycle

By Alec Whitaker

STATE COLLEGE, PA - OCTOBER 02: Head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions smiles after Sean Clifford #14 throws a touchdown pass to Jahan Dotson #5 during the second half of the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Beaver Stadium on October 2, 2021 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
STATE COLLEGE, PA - OCTOBER 02: Head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions smiles after Sean Clifford #14 throws a touchdown pass to Jahan Dotson #5 during the second half of the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Beaver Stadium on October 2, 2021 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
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Penn State Football just signed one of the most impressive recruiting classes in program history, but James Franklin could give it a run for its money in 2023

It’s been less than a week since Penn State Football signed one of the highest-rated recruiting classes of the James Franklin era.

With 23 of the 24 commits signed in the 2022 class, it’s likely that the Nittany Lions will focus on the transfer portal and move on to the 2023 recruiting cycle.

The 2023 class is just as important as the 2022 one, as the next step for Franklin needs to be the ability to stack top-10 recruiting classes, instead of them spaced out every three years or so.

So far, Penn State Football’s 2023 class currently ranks third nationally with four commits. This is a great start, but the job is far from finished.

In light of the holiday season, let’s take a look at five 2023 recruits that should be at the top of Franklin’s wish list to help compliment the 2022 class and what is already in the 2023 class.

Here is who should sit atop Penn State Football’s 2023 recruiting wish list:

5. LB Phil Picciotti

Penn State Football landed two linebackers in the 2022 class, in Keon Wylie and Abdul Carter.

The 2022 duo are fantastic athletes, but Carter may be best suited at defensive end, leaving Wylie as the only true linebacker in this class.

The staff will likely target the linebacker position in the portal, but that is only a temporary fix, the depth at the position needs to be rebuilt through recruiting. There are numerous linebacker targets already emerging in the 2023 cycle, but Phil Picciotti is one of the more intriguing options.

The 3-star recruit is from Perkasie, Pa, and is listed at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, a solid frame for a linebacker. Although he’s currently rated as the No. 31 linebacker in the 247 Sports Composite, Picciotti has seen his recruitment pick up lately with offers from Notre Dame and Oklahoma.

Picciotti’s recruitment may continue to blow up as more teams start to put an emphasis on 2023 recruiting, so Penn State Football should work to secure his recruitment as quickly as possible.

The Nittany Lions did a good job of keeping in-state talent home in 2022, they’ll need to do it again in 2023.

Picciotti won’t be the only linebacker Penn State needs in 2023, but he would be a great start to an important class.

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