On3 Outliers: Seven 2023 Penn State commits On3 ranks higher than the industry

Penn State has 19 Class of 2023 verbal commitments as of Wednesday afternoon. Eleven of them rank inside the On300. But, some recruits who are ranked inside that exclusive group of high school seniors sit in a higher spot at On3 compared to the On3 Consensus, which is an equally-weighted combination of all four major recruiting services.

Who fits that bill? Here’s a breakdown as summer evaluation updates continue across the industry.

Penn State offensive tackle commit Jven Williams

Five-star Virginia interior offensive lineman Alex Birchmeier is the highest-ranked commit in the On3 Consensus. However, four-star Pennsylvania guard Jven Williams is the top Penn State pledge in the On3 rankings. He is a five-star by On3 but only a four-star in the Consensus. He is considered the No. 10 overall player by On3 compared to No. 58 in the Consensus.

On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power has long been enthralled by Williams’s combination of size, speed, strength, and athleticism. The 6-foot-4, 290-pound prospect is also a track and field standout in the shot put and discus.

Lions corner commit Elliot Washington

A former Alabama commit who flipped to the Lions earlier this month, Florida corner Elliot Washington dropped slightly in the latest On3 update but still is No. 93 nationally. Comparatively, he is No. 108 in the Consensus. But, both sets of rankings consider him a four-star prospect.

“Penn State commitment Elliot Washington‘s track speed translates well on the field and even more impressive was his second gear,” On3 national recruiting analyst Sam Spiegleman wrote following an evaluation opportunity at last weekend’s Under Armour Future 50 event.

“The four-star from Venice (Fla.) easily went stride for stride with receivers and flashed impressive closing speed on throws downfield.”

Penn State safety pledge King Mack

Few prospects jumped in the new On3 rankings like Florida four-star safety King Mack did. The four-star safety from Florida went from not carrying a national ranking to jumping up to No. 88. In the Consensus, he is the No. 161 overall player. He has a four-star rating in both. A belief in how his size projects to the next level may be the biggest reason behind the difference. Mack stands 5-foot-10, 175 pounds.

“Aside from his stature, there’s always been a lot to like,” On3 scouting and rankings director Charles Power told BWI. “He’s just under 5-10, but in terms of his instincts, his playmaking ability, his coverage; he plays all over the field. He has deep range at safety. That’ll bode well for him at Penn State. We watched a lot of his film and just started comparing him to more players and so much stood out.

“Generally speaking, you don’t want to have a lot of guys his size ranked that highly, but he’s an exception. I also think he’s a little longer than most other DBs his height. He’s not lacking length but is just a little shorter. But when we really dug on him more, and you add in those track times, he was a guy that we had to make a big move with.”

Lions tight end commits Andrew Rappleyea and Joey Schlaffer

We’ll lump these two prospects together since they play the same position.

Starting with Andrew Rappleyea, the 6-foot-4, 215-pound senior is No. 165 in the On3 rankings but No. 254 in the Consensus. He is, however, a four-star by both.

“I think the first thing that jumps out with Rappleyea is his on-field movement skills and change of direction,” Power previously told BWI. “We like his route-running ability. He’s able to separate from defenders with some shake and smooth movements. He makes some moves after the catch as well and averaged over 20 yards per reception as a junior.

“We often see top tight end prospects make multi-positional impacts. That’s the case with Rappleyea as well, as he shows off his athleticism doubling as a safety, which is an encouraging sign.”

As for Joey Schlaffer, he ranks No. 253 according to On3 but is No. 476 by the Consensus. The former calls him a four-star but the latter a three-star.

“I think he’s a guy who, once he gets into Penn State’s college strength system and really puts a bigger focus on tight end, he should have some pretty high-upside,” Power said. “The tight end position is one of those developmental positions.

“It takes some time to figure out who will grow into their frame and keep those movement skills that you need. He projects well there to keep progressing. He’s a guy who does a lot of different stuff for his team, too. I think that versatility bodes well for him.”

Penn State defensive line commit Jameial Lyons

Jameial Lyons committed to Penn State back in April. He’s only seen his stock go up since then. The defensive lineman from Philadelphia moved up 48 spots from No. 243 to No. 195 in the new On3 rankings. However, he sits at No. 267 in the On3 Consensus rankings.

“With Lyons, we’ve known his numbers for a long time now,” Power said. “He’s always been impressive as an athlete and his stature.

“What we didn’t always have was verified information for many of the other defensive linemen in and around him in the rankings. As more of that information came in, his measurables and athleticism merited a bump up within that group.”

Lions safety commit Conrad Hussey

A teammate of the aforementioned King Mack, Conrad Hussey also saw his ranking rise with the latest update. He is just outside the top 200 at No. 203 in the new On3 rankings. However, in the Consensus, he sits at just No. 305 overall. Both consider him a four-star, however.

“Similar to King Mack, I think those St. Thomas Aquinas DBs are pretty technical and well-coached,” Power said. “He’s polished in coverage.

“When you look at him as a safety, especially in 2022, those guys need to know how to cover. You don’t see as many of those bigger strong safeties playing in the box and also covering guys anymore. So, I think Hussey just has a lot of coverage versatility.”