Is Penn State Football poised for more recruiting success in Virginia?
Penn State Football will use key assistant coaches to recruit the talent-rich state of Virginia in 2024
Penn State Football could be in line for yet even more success in recruiting that state of Virginia with the hire of Marques Hagans.
Hagans, a former standout at Virginia, was the wide receivers coach for the Cavaliers since 2013. He will assume the same role with the Nittany Lions.
Hagans comes to Happy Valley just one month after Penn State signed six of the top ten recruits in the state of Virginia in the 2023 cycle. It’s important for the Nittany Lions to have recruiting success in states like Virginia because Pennsylvania is not as loaded with high school talent like states like Florida, Texas, California and Georgia are. If the Nittany Lions want to win a national championship, they need to dominate the region, not just the state.
The addition of another former Virginia standout, Anthony Poindexter, to the coaching staff a couple years back was a big reason for Penn State’s success down there. Additionally, both of the big-name schools in Virginia, Virginia Tech and Virginia, both went through some down years and hired new head coaches last offseason.
Needless to say, the Nittany Lions took advantage of this golden opportunity.
Now, armed with Poindexter, Hagans and a Rose Bowl win, the Nittany Lions will head back down to Virginia looking to secure more commitments in the 2024 class.
Ironically, one position that is loaded with talent in Virginia in the 2024 cycle is wide receiver. The group is headlined by 4-star Keylen Adams, who is ranked as the No. 17 wide receiver in the nation. Right behind Adams is pair of teammates at King George High School in 4-star Chanz Wiggins and high 3-star Mekhai White.
All three of these wide outs currently rank within the top seven recruits in Virginia. After taking just one wide receiver in the 2023 class, the Nittany Lions would surely welcome all three of these highly touted players.
The No. 1 player in Virginia in 2024 is 4-star linebacker Kristopher Jones from Mountain View High School in Stafford. Penn State Football signed the top two linebackers in Virginia in the 2023 cycle in Tony Rojas and Kaveion Keys, it will try to mimic that success by landing Jones.
Other notable players in Virginia in 2024 includes a pair of 4-star offensive linemen in Fletcher Westphal and Cam’Ron Warren and 4-star cornerback Asaad Brown. Penn State will try to sell these recruits on being the next Olu Fashanu at offensive tackle and the next Joey Porter Jr. at cornerback.
Penn State Football should feel good about its chances with every name on this list with two highly regarded Virginia natives leading the recruiting charge for the Nittany Lions.