Penn State football is set to host two top recruiting targets this weekend
Penn State football is set for one of its biggest recruiting weekends of the spring. Two of the visitors are among the program’s top Class of 2023 targets on defense.
Linebackers Tony Rojas and Phil Picciotti are set to take unofficial visits to campus. Both are expected to be in town on Friday as new coordinator Manny Diaz aims to continue growing his relationship with the two talented defenders.
Taking a closer look at the recruitments of Rojas and Picciotti
Rojas has been on quite the tour this week. The 6-foot-2.5, 200-pound On3 Consensus four-star from Fairfax, Va., saw Miami back on April 10 and is at Georgia on Thursday. Next, he will be in State College to check out a practice.
“Seeing their practice is important,” Rojas said. I’m looking forward to that,” he said. “Coach [Manny] Diaz has been wanting to talk game, watch film, talk positions, how it would work. So, just talking one-on-one and meeting more people there.
Rojas is the nation’s No. 207 player and No. 15 linebacker, according to the Consensus. His On3 NIL Valuation projection is currently $15,600.
The Lions have an overwhelming lead in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine. And, the senior-to-be recently told BWI’s Ryan Snyder that Penn State is the team to beat.
“Penn State is still [at] the top for me,” Rojas said. “They text my parents and my family the most. They check-in to see how they are and are family-oriented.”
Moving on to Picciotti (whose current On3 NIL valuation is $14.1k), he’s another longtime target of the Nittany Lions. Penn State remained firmly in the mix even after Brent Pry moved on. Now, the Perkasie, Pa., Pennridge defender will also get a chance to meet face-to-face with Diaz and the rest of the staff. He, too, has been busy on the visit trail. Recent stops include Michigan, Michigan State, and Nebraska. He’s also set to see Wisconsin later this month.
Penn State leads in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine for Picciotti, too. He has a top 12 that includes the Lions, Auburn, Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Northwestern, Oklahoma, South Carolina, USC, Virginia Tech, and Wisconsin.
BWI recruiting insider Ryan Snyder has already logged RPM picks for both Rojas and Picciotti to land with the Lions.
Who else is visiting Penn State this weekend?
Snyder will have a full visitor preview inside The Lions Den forum before the weekend. Not a subscriber? Sign up today for just $1 for one year of access by visiting our subscription page.
An additional name to know is Class of 2024 quarterback Jadyn Davis. The On3 Consensus four-star is the nation’s No. 12 player and No. 2 quarterback in his class. He has an On3 NIL valuation of $42,000. This will mark his first visit to Penn State since last November.
