Penn State Football: 3 takeaways from the massive recruiting week

Keeping it local

In the past, we’ve talked about Penn State needing to increase its recruiting footprint if it wants to compete on the national stage.

In the 2023 class, the Nittany Lions have commits from Alabama and Florida, and are still targeting recruits who live as far away as Hawaii. Continuing to recruit these regions will make Penn State a better team in the long run.

But you cannot forget about your own backyard.

Montgomery and Robinson are both Pennsylvania guys with Montgomery from Scranton and Robinson from Pittsburgh. Penn State now has commitments from seven of the top 16 recruits in Pennsylvania. This, along with the 2022 cycle, has been a vast improvement for the program after struggling with in-state recruiting for a couple years.

Rojas is from Fairfax, VA. Virginia has been incredibly kind to the Nittany Lions this cycle. Penn State has commitments from four of the top 13 players in the state of Virginia, including two of the top three.

Penn State may not be done in Virginia either, as 4-star LB Kaveion Keys and 4-star WR Carmelo Taylor are still on the radar.

Being a national force on the recruiting trail is a must for Penn State football but remembering there’s a lot of great talent here at home is important as well.