On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine: Penn State trending for RB Corey Smith

Wisconsin may have been the early favorite to land Waukesha (Wis.) Catholic Memorial four-star running back Corey Smith but things have changed following Smith’s latest trip to Penn State.

Following recent industry updates and a prediction from BWI’s Sean Fitz, the Nittany Lions are trending to land a commitment from McRoy according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM).

The Nittany Lions now hold a 96.8% percent chance of securing Smith’s commitment. Fitz logged his prediction with a confidence level of 60% Tuesday afternoon.

Smith’s trip to Penn State on April 15 for the Nittany Lions’ spring game was the second time he’s visited this spring. He was first on campus on March 24.

“Today was a great day,” Smith told On3 following the spring game. “Great vibes, great team, great atmosphere all-around, specifically the players. They showed competitiveness during the spring game which was very entertaining.”

Penn State also an advantage no other school. The Nittany Lions landed a commitment from Smith’s teammate four-star interior offensive lineman Donovan Harbour Tuesday afternoon. Harbour was also in attendance with Smith for the Blue-White game.

The 5-foot-11, 175-pounder is the No. 220 overall prospect and No. 18 running back in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 3 player in Wisconsin.

For more Penn State recruiting intel, check out BWI.

Penn State building a top-10 class

Pulling both Harbour and Smith out of Wisconsin would be a major win for James Franklin and co. as they build towards a top-10 class.

April has been the Nittany Lions’ best month on the recruiting trail as they’ve landed five of their 10 commitments over the last three weeks. Four-star cornerback Jon Mitchell became the Nittany Lions’ first pledge of the month on April 1.

Mitchell’s commitment was followed up by four-star athlete Quinton Martin (April 7), three-star cornerback Antoine Belgrave-Shorter, three-star athlete Caleb Brewer and Harbour.

Aside from four-star interior offensive lineman Cooper Cousins who committed to January, the remainder of Penn State’s commitments have also come this year.

The rest of the Nittany Lions’ class includes three-star linebacker Anthony Speca, three-star cornerback Kenny Woseley, three-star linebacker Kari Jackson and three-star tight end Luke Reynolds.

With all of the success they’ve had in 2023, Penn State’s class currently ranks as the No. 10 class in the country and the No. 3 class in the Big Ten.