Penn State climbs multiple spots in 2023 On3 Consensus Team Rankings
Penn State has put themselves in a great position to start its Class of 2023.
With eight commitments already, including four, four-star players, the Nittany Lions are on pace to once again sign one of the better classes we’ve seen under head coach James Franklin.
That took another positive step forward Saturday when four-star offensive lineman Jven Williams announced his decision to join the class.
In addition to Williams being an important prospect in Penn State’s determination to revamp its offensive line room, he also played a big role in moving the Nittany Lions up in the On3 Consensus Team Rankings.
Previously, Penn State was ninth overall, behind both Ohio State and Michigan. Now, the Nittany Lions have surpassed both, climbing three spots to No. 4 overall.
Class Breakdown: Penn State’s 2023 class rises after Jven Williams commitment
The On3 Consensus Team Rankings aren’t like other rankings either.
In addition to putting together the rankings of all four major sites – On3, Rivals, 247Sports and ESPN – the On3 Consensus Team Ranking solves the problem of varying class sizes during the recruiting cycle by compiling the highest-rated commits for each team up to a total based on a rolling average among Power 5 schools. Currently, that average is six commitments nationally.
With this model, there are no bonus points for having more commitments than other teams and only small deductions occur when a team has fewer commitments than the rolling average. Unlike distribution (bell) curves, this model doesn’t disproportionately weight a team’s top three or four highest rated commits and is a more accurate representation of an entire class.
Nationally, USC currently has the top-ranked 2023 class with three players committed, including two five-star prospects. Notre Dame, who ranks second, has eight commitments, all of whom hold four-star ratings. You’ll then find Georgia third with six four-stars and three, three-star recruits.
Behind Penn State is Ohio State with four commitments total, including three four-star players. The rest of the top 10 includes Texas A&M, Michigan, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Kentucky.
In addition to Williams, Penn State has three other four-star commitments currently. That includes offensive lineman Alex Birchmeier, tight end Neeo Avery and athlete Mathias Barnwell.
The other four committed players currently hold a three-star rating. That includes tight end Joey Schlaffer, cornerback Lamont Payne and offensive linemen Joshua Miller and Anthony Donkoh.
Penn State’s current score is 90.758. That’s slightly below where the Class of 2022 finished with a 91.926.
*** Story was updated Sunday, Feb. 6, to reflect changes in rankings ***
