Which of Penn State's Class of 2024 signees are planning to enroll in January following National Signing Day?
Penn State not only signed a talented class Wednesday but head coach James Franklin and his staff are set to start working with many of their incoming players relatively soon.
In the beginning of October, Blue White Illustrated confirmed that the Nittany Lions were planning for 16 players from the 2024 class to begin taking classes this upcoming spring semester, which begins on Jan. 8. That number then climbed to 17 a few weeks later when Penn State picked up its final commitment in the 2024 class from edge rusher Jaylen Harvey.
But as we noted in the fall, it’s not uncommon for one or two players to change their minds late. We’ve since learned that one player will wait until the summer, as offensive lineman Caleb Brewer has decided to wrestle during his senior season at Wyomissing before enrolling at Penn State. Last season, Brewer was not only named a captain as a junior for Wyo’s wrestling program, but he also put together a 24-2 record during the regular season. However, he was forced to miss the postseason due to a broken wrist.
Link: How did future Penn State DL Jaylen Harvey and Xavier Gilliam progress in 2023?
With 16 players still set to enroll early, it’ll be the largest number we’ve seen at Penn State. Last year, PSU brought in 11 early enrollees. Nine enrolled early in 2022, seven in 2021 and 11 back in 2020.
The list is almost evenly split between offensive and defensive prospects. Offensively, Penn State will get seven of its signees on campus next month, including quarterback commit Ethan Grunkemeyer. This is the third consecutive class that PSU’s quarterbacks will enroll early.
The other six who are expected on offense are running back Quinton Martin, wide receiver Josiah Brown, tight end Luke Reynolds and offensive linemen Eagan Boyer, Cooper Cousins and Garrett Sexton.
The defensive group also features a few of the staff’s top-ranked prospects, including defensive tackle Liam Andrews. In fact, all four of Penn State’s defensive tackle prospects will be on campus in just a few weeks, as DeAndre Cook, TA Cunningham and Xavier Gilliam also plan to enroll then. Quince Orchard edge rusher Jaylen Harvey is also set to enroll in January.
Linebacker Kari Jackson, who missed his senior season with an injury, is expected to be the lone linebacker who joins the team in January. However, three of the five defensive backs will participate in spring practice, including cornerbacks Jon Mitchell and Antoine Belgrave-Shorter. Safety Vaboue Toure will also begin taking classes next month.
