What you need to know about Penn State’s 2025 class ahead of the early signing period
The early signing period begins Wednesday and Penn State is set to pick up another 25 players to add to its 2025 roster.
Here’s everything you need to know about the 2025 class.
Who is the biggest pickup?
There are a few ways to go with this. Offensive lineman Malachi Goodman is the highest-rated player in the class according to On3 and 247Sports, while Daryus Dixson is second and also hails from a recruiting ground that the Nittany Lions don’t typically dip into — California. Getting a legacy recruit like linebacker LaVar Arrington II is big, too, as is keeping defensive end Chaz Coleman, who is from Ohio, to stick with Penn State despite an offer from Ohio State. Despite all of those good choices, there’s another that could end up standing out most in the long run.
Virginia wide receiver Matthew Outten is a raw player who chose the Nittany Lions over mostly regional offers — like Virginia Tech, Maryland and Virginia — but his upside could prove to be enormous. Outten is 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, according to his On3 recruiting profile, and has the type of athleticism and ability with the ball in his hands that the Nittany Lions have been missing at receiver for a couple years. While he may not be a contributor right away, he has enough upside to be a legitimate No. 1 option for Penn State down the line and leave an imprint as one of the best recruiting pickups for Penn State head coach James Franklin this cycle — even if he isn’t the most highly touted player in this class.
How good is the class?
As it stands, the 2025 group doesn’t figure to be one that is at the forefront of a potential title run, but it is a good supplement to its previous groups and should be able to fill in some gaps and generate starters at positions where Penn State has thrived in the past. That starts at cornerback where Dixson is joined by fellow four-star recruit Jahmir Joseph and three-stars Xxavier Thomas and Josh Johnson. Dixson and Joseph in particular are well-equipped with the athleticism and physicality that previous corners have used to their benefit at Penn State.
There will also surely be contributions down the road from the linebackers and running backs from this class — two positions that aren’t as valued as they once were around the sport but can still be impactful. Arrington, Alex Tatsch and Cam Smith are all four-stars at the second level of the defense while the team’s two running back additions, Tiqwai Hayes and Jabree Wallace-Coleman, are in-state products who could get some early snaps in their careers and eventually develop into starting-caliber players at Penn State. There will also inevitably be growth from players that evolve into elite college players — Coleman and Outten stand out as potential possibilities there.
Will it make an impact next season?
Penn State has already seen contributions from its 2024 class with Cooper Cousins playing on the offensive line, Luke Reynolds getting a lot of time at tight end and Tyseer Denmark seeing his role grow at receiver as the season rolls on — and there have been several others who have made a mark this season, too. But that may not be the case with the 2025 class. The best players aren’t necessarily stepping into positions with big openings, and the ones who are may not be ready to contribute just yet. Take Coleman and Outten, for example. The defensive end and wide receiver positions will be looking for players to play next year, but neither is quite ready to make a massive impact in college.
On the other hand, Dixson and Joseph could potentially play earlier, as could Wallace-Coleman or Hayes, but the Nittany Lions are teeming with quality players at those spots. That being said, if any of those players manage to get serious playing time early, it should be seen as a good sign that they’ve been able to take reps from established rotation level players at their position.
Here are all 25 commits who are expected to join the Nittany Lions’ class on early signing day Wednesday.
Note: All star ratings are based on the On3 industry ranking.
OT Malachi Goodman
Rating: 4-stars
Height/weight: 6-5.5/315
School (listed hometown): Paramus Catholic (Paramus, N.J.)
CB Daryus Dixson
Rating: 4-stars
Height/weight: 6-0/185
School (listed hometown): Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
CB Jahmir Joseph
Rating: 4-stars
Height/weight: 6-0/185
School (listed hometown): St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.)
LB Alex Tatsch
Rating: 4-stars
Height/weight: 6-2.5/215
School (listed hometown): Greater Latrobe (Latrobe, Pa.)
WR Matthew Outten
Rating: 4-stars
Height/weight: 6-1/210
School (listed hometown): I.C Norcom (Portsmouth, Va.)
LB LaVar Arrington II
Rating: 4-stars
Height/weight: 6-3/210
School (listed hometown): Charter Oaks (Covina, Calif.)
RB Jabree Wallace-Coleman
Rating: 4-stars
Height/weight: 6-0/210
School (listed hometown): Imhotep Institute (Philadelphia, Pa.)
LB Cam Smith
Rating: 4-stars
Height/weight: 6-0.5/200
School (listed hometown): St. Joseph’s Prep School (Salem, N.J.)
TE Matt Henderson
Rating: 4-stars
Height/weight: 6-5/208
School (listed hometown): Powhatan (Powhatan, Va.)
WR Lyrick Samuel
Rating: 4-stars
Height/weight: 6-4/175
School (listed hometown): Erasmus Hall (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
WR Jeff Exinor
Rating: 4-stars
Height/weight: 6-1.5/215
School (listed hometown): McDonogh School (Baltimore, Md.)
DE Dayshaun Burnett
Rating: 4-stars
Height/weight: 6-3/215
School (listed hometown): Imani Christian Academy (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
DE Cortez Harris
Rating: 4-stars
Height/weight: 6-2/200
School (listed hometown): Riverdale Baptist (Upper Marlboro, Md.)
WR Koby Howard
Rating: 3-stars
Height/weight: 5-11/190
School (listed hometown): Chaminade-Madonna Prep (Davie, Fla.)
DE Yvan Kemajou
Rating: 3-stars
Height/weight: 6-3/240
School (listed hometown): Paint Branch (Burtonsville, Md.)
OT Owen Aliciene
Rating: 3-stars
Height/weight: 6-8/260
School (listed hometown): Avon Old Farms (Avon, Conn.)
RB Tiqwai Hayes
Rating: 3-stars
Height/weight: 5-10/190
School (listed hometown): Aliquippa (Aliquippa, Pa.)
DE Chaz Coleman
Rating: 3-stars
Height/weight: 6-4.5/220
School (listed hometown): Warren G. Harding (Warren, Ohio)
TE Brady O’Hara
Rating: 3-stars
Height/weight: 6-6/250
School (listed hometown): North Catholic (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
S Braswell Thomas
Rating: 3-stars
Height/weight: 6-2/185
School (listed hometown): Pleasantville (Cape May, N.J.)
DL Randy Adirika
Rating: 3-stars
Height/weight: 6-3/280
School (listed hometown): Miami Central (Miami, Fla.)
CB Xxavier Thomas
Rating: 3-stars
Height/weight: 5-11/170
School (listed hometown): Central Catholic (Canonsburg, Pa.)
QB Bekkem Kritza
Rating: 3-stars
Height/weight: 6-4.5/220
School (listed hometown): Chaminade-Madonna Prep (Boulder, Colo.)
IOL Michael Troutman
Rating: 3-stars
Height/weight: 6-2/280
School (listed hometown): DePaul Catholic (Wayne, N.J.)
CB Josh Johnson
Rating: 3-stars
Height/weight: 6-2/185
School (listed hometown): Ironton (Ironton, Ohio)
