Recruit rewind: Penn State adds speedy corner in Antoine Belgrave-Shorter

Penn State welcomed a talented, speedy cornerback to position coach Terry Smith’s room back in January when Antoine Belgrave-Shorter enrolled. Get to know him below as Blue-White Illustrated continues to take a closer look at each member of the Class of 2024 over the next few weeks.

Antoine Belgrave-Shorter
Cornerback
6-0, 185
Mandarin High School
Jacksonville, Fla.

Statistics

• Had eight pass breakups, four interruptions (including one returned for a touchdown), and 72 tackles as a senior
• Totaled 44 tackles, three interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), and six pass breakups as a junior
• Recorded 29 pass breakups as a sophomore

Notable

• Won District and Gateway titles as a junior and senior. Was a state runner-up as a senior
• Was an  All-Region 4M pick in 2023. 
• Served as a team captain as a senior and was a three-year letterman.

Recruitment

• Committed to Penn State on April 10, 2023
• Recruited by Terry Smith
• Picked Penn State over UCF
• Officially visited on June 9, 2023

Projection: Belgrave-Shorter had the speed and ball skills to play offense and defense in high school. He will focus on the latter in college. Bulking up will be an initial key as he looks to make an impact on position coach Terry Smith’s room as an early enrollee. Projects as a likely redshirt in 2024 unless early special teams noise is made in spring practice and preseason camp.

They Said It

Mandarin defensive backs coach Cavonte Campbell: AJ, in general, just has a lot of stuff that I can’t teach, specifically his ball skills. I always say, ‘If you truly want the ball, it’ll come to you,’ and I think AJ took that to heart early on in his career and he’s committed to that mentality.”

Get to know Penn State cornerback Antoine Belgrave-Shorter

Penn State signed a pair of high-caliber defensive backs out of Mandarin High School in Jacksonville, Fla., in the Class of 2024. Jon Mitchell and Antoine Belgrave-Shorter did not set out to continue playing together at the next level when their recruiting processes started. But, each fell in love with Lions cornerbacks coach Terry Smith, the school itself, and the opportunity it presents to be developed at the next level.

“Unlike Jon Jon, AJ’s recruitment took off more in the fall and following the season,” Mandarin defensive backs coach Cavante Campbell told BWI in March. “Jon Jon had been recruited for quite some time longer, so AJ needs to take his time still. He still has that curiosity about different schools and needs to take a few more visits and whatnot before he nails down a situation. He wants to keep enjoying this a bit, which he should.”

Belgrave-Shorter and Mitchell both ended up committing to Penn State in April. The latter had more offers. But, the former has plenty of skill and didn’t waver in his decision despite interest from Florida and Auburn, among others, late in the recruiting process. He made multiple regional all-star teams following his junior and senior seasons, during which he netted more than 100 tackles and seven interceptions. Two of them were returned for touchdowns.

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The nation’s No. 667 player in the One Industry Rankings and No. 67 cornerback brings plenty of speed and a knack for finding the ball and taking it away from the offense to State College. He fits the mold of many Nittany Lion defensive backs who came before him: Physical and aggressive at the line of scrimmage, capable of covering in a scheme that emphasizes man-to-man coverage, and a strong ability to find the ball carrier and stop him in his tracks. Belgrave-Shorter is one of 16 Penn State Class of 2024 signees who enrolled early. The 6-foot, 185-pound defender will need to bulk up while retaining his athleticism in college. But, he has a high ceiling despite his lower ranking, and could play early on.

“I think AJ is for sure in the driver’s seat to be able to do that, and a big reason why is his versatility,” Campbell said. “During the season, I stuck AJ at safety a couple of times just to put him out there and have him in a different spot to see some different things and do some different things.

“I did that with Jon Jon a couple of times, too, but AJ is just a bit more developed physically with his body type and things like that. I certainly think that he has a great opportunity to do that. Jon Jon can as well. He’s got the length and a lot of the intangibles that you want at the position. So, he’s going to have a great opportunity to get on the field. But I definitely would say AJ is in the driver’s seat to be able to do that. Jon Jon isn’t far behind though.”