Penn State 2023 linebacker update, Rappleyea commits: BWI Daily
After a long and winding road, Penn State finally landed one of their top tight end targets in the Class of 2023, four-star Andrew Rappleyea. The recruiting show discusses that and the situation at linebacker in the upcoming class today. Finally, stick around until the show’s end to hear which important players will be on campus to see Penn State this week. Reporter Greg Pickel and recruiting insider Ryan Snyder take you through those topics and more on the BWI Daily Recruiting show.
Andrew Rappleyea to Penn State wrap up
Snyder and Pickel start with Rappleyea’s commitment and the end of a long journey for the rising senior. In that journey, Snyder takes you through the success that tight ends coach Ty Howel had this cycle, landing all four of his top prospects at one point or another. So how did that success cause issues with numbers at the position? And how did that affect the New England native Rappleyea? First, Snyder explains how it was never an issue of want for the Milford Academy product but something else. Next, he describes how Rappleyea reacted to not getting a spot initially and what changed to have him ultimately flip from Michigan to Penn State.
Class of 2023 Mike linebacker prospects
After finishing their talk on Rappleyea, they discuss the situation at linebacker in the Class of 2023. Several of the Blue and White’s top prospects have released their final school list for the spring. Both Pennridge standout Phil Picciotti and St. Joseph’s Josiah Trotter have Penn State among their top 12 and five schools, respectively. So how will all of this shake out with another numbers crunch at Mike linebacker? Snyder explains that the decision may be out of Penn State’s hands because he sees a commitment for one of these linebackers to West Virginia.
Next, they discuss the transfer portal and Penn State’s efforts to land a defensive end. Akheem Mesidor, a top transfer target, visited Penn State this past weekend. What is there about his game that would help the Nittany Lions? Also, which other schools are the primary contenders for his services? Snyder and Pickel discuss.
Prospects visiting Penn State
Finally, Snyder takes viewers through the names of prospects that have visited Penn State or plan to in the coming days. After the junior tailback visited this weekend, he starts with good news on Bishop McDevitt running back Marquese Williams and his development. Next, he drops an interesting note about receiver Mekhai White and where the program sees him in the future. Lastly, he details which players from the classes of 2024 and 2025 are visiting Happy Valley.
