Penn State Lands 2024 3-Star DL Xavier Gilliam

The Penn State football team just landed another piece to the puzzle for the 2024 recruiting class as DL Xavier Gilliam has committed to the Nittany Lions. He attends Wilde Lake high school in Columbia, Maryland.

Gilliam chose Penn State over Virginia Tech, Duke, and North Carolina State and he is rated as a 3-star prospect according to On3. He is just wrapping up his official visit to Penn State this weekend where the staff clearly made a significant impression on Gilliam. As the team currently holds no commitments from any other true defensive linemen in the 2024 class. There has been a rumor that Caleb Brewer could be moved to defensive tackle but that is speculation for the time being.

This is also one of the first real commits to newly hired defensive line coach Deion Barnes, so it will be a true test to see how he can develop Gilliam once he arrives on campus.

When you turn on the tape, I noticed Gilliam’s speed and nose for the football on-run plays. He has a very quick first step that allows him to beat offensive linemen to their spot and make the stop. On his tape, he also displays a lot of effort in chasing down screen passes and never giving up on a play. These qualities are what get you playing time once a player gets on campus, if the heart and determination are there the rest will fall into place. It’s easy to see why Penn State offered a guy like Gilliam.

The 2024 recruiting class still needs additional bodies along the interior defensive line, Gilliam is labeled on national recruiting sites as an edge but he appears to be leaning towards a defensive tackle in my opinion. Either way, he is a significant piece of the puzzle in this class.