Penn State Recruiting: 2025 commit breakdown
Penn State once again finished inside the top 20 of the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings in 2024. James Franklin and the Nittany Lions are on pace for something greater in the 2025 cycle, however.
With April underway, Penn State is pushing for a top-10 class. The Big Ten program currently checks in at No. 12 in the nation and No. 4 in-conference, as of April 11.
The Nittany Lions have 12 commits — tied for the third in the nation. Franklin and his staff continue to make hay recruiting in Pennsylvania and the Northeast.
Penn State Class Breakdown
The linebacker room is set to be stacked in Happy Valley. Three of the four highest-ranked commits in the fold for PSU are all LBs. Jersey City (N.J.) Henry Snyder four-star DJ McClary headlines as a near top-150 overall prospect.
McClary is flanked by Latrobe (Pa.) Greater four-star Alex Tatsch and Pittsburgh Imani Christian four-star Dayshaun Burnett. Tatsch was one of the biggest risers in Monday’s updated 2025 On300 rankings, as he jumped all the way to No. 52 overall.
On April 11, a new top-ranked pledge joined the fold in Elba (Ala.) four-star running back Alvin Henderson. The No. 7 RB in the nation chose the Nittany Lions over Auburn, Miami and Florida State in a major recruiting win for Franklin and Co.
Pittsburgh North Catholic four-star tight end Brady O’Hara is a top-25 player at his position. Beebe (Ark.) The Woodlands three-star running back Kiandrea Barker and Aliquippa (Pa.) three-star RB Tiqwai Hayes provide some firepower in the backfield.
Other top commits include Canonsburg (Pa.) Central Catholic three-star cornerback Xxavier Thomas, Boulder (Colo.) Fairview three-star quarterback Bekkem Kritza and Avon (Conn.) Old Farms three-star offensive tackle Owen Aliciene.
Top PSU Offensive Commit: RB Alvin Henderson
The 5-foot-9, 195-pound burner is now the latest to join the fold for PSU and is the highest-ranked commit in the class. He ranks No. 110 overall, No. 7 at the running back position and No. 10 in Alabama.
Henderson explained his decision to commit to Penn State with On3’s Chad Simmons:
“My three reasons for choosing Penn State are its tradition for running back development that Coach Seider and Coach Franklin have built, the family feeling that I felt around the campus and the fans when I was there and the opportunities to go there and be successful.”
Top PSU Defensive Commit: LB DJ McClary
McClary committed to PSU on Sept. 24 last year. He’s proven to be a riser in the 2025 rankings and now checks in at No. 131 overall. He’s also the No. 16 LB in the cycle, as well as the No. 3 player in New Jersey.
On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power writes this of McClary as a prospect:
“DJ McClary is a really productive high school football player. He ran for over 2,500 yards as a sophomore and had over 100 tackles, so he’s a guy who gets it done on both sides of the ball. At around 6-foot-and-a-half, 210 [pounds], he runs pretty well with a 4.7 in the 40-yard dash at the Under Armour Regional this offseason. He’s a guy who has a lot of great football instincts and makes plays all over the field.
…I think as a linebacker, he triggers quickly and makes a lot of plays around the line of scrimmage. He has the capacity to play in space with his athleticism, too. He closes quickly and is an active, violent finisher. He’s great on contact and plays with a ton of physicality. He’s not a guy who will blow you away with his frame or from a stature perspective, but I think he’s a guy who plays well in space.”