Four-star linebacker DJ McClary gives Penn State a White Out commitment
Penn State has long been considered the leader for Jersey City (N.J.) Henry Snyder linebacker DJ McClary. On Sunday, the four-star prospect made it official by joining the Nittany Lions’ Class of 2025. McClary committed to Penn State while on campus for the White Out against Iowa on Saturday evening.
The 6-foot-1, 205-pound prospect was making his second trip to Happy Valley in September. He chose the Nittany Lions over a previously announced top eight that included Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Rutgers, South Carolina, Tennessee and USC, in addition to Penn State.
McClary came onto the radar during a brilliant sophomore season and he was offered by the Nittany Lions while on campus for a game last November. Defensive Coordinator Manny Diaz and analyst Gabe Infante were the point of contact for the Nittany Lions.
“I was shocked, but it’s saying I’m doing the right thing. So I’m just going to work harder and get better,” he said at the time. “I know Penn State has had great linebackers in the past. I’m blessed to be offered by them.”
McClary played quarterback and linebacker for Snyder as a sophomore as the team finished 6-4 on the year. He ran for 2,107 yards and 25 touchdowns on offense and threw for an additional 504 yards and two scores in a run-heavy attack. He was credited with 131 total tackles and 20.5 tackles for loss on defense.
While battling injuries this season, McClary has rushed for 401 yards and three touchdowns in three games. He’s also thrown a touchdown pass. On defense, he has racked up 29 tackles, five tackles for loss and a sack.
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McClary is now Penn State’s top-rated commitment in 2025
McClary is a four-star prospect by all four recruiting services. The On3 Industry ranking has him as the No. 109 prospect nationally and the No. 10 linebacker in the country. He’s the No. 3 prospect in New Jersey in the early Class of 2025 rankings.
Despite losing a commitment recently from Top100 offensive tackle Jaelyne Matthews, Penn State’s Class of 2025 is now back to three members with the addition to McClary. He joins four-star Texas running back Kiandrea Barker and New Jersey safety Omari Gaines in the Nittany Lions class.
McClary is the first Penn State commitment at a White Out since Liam Clifford and Nate Bruce pledged back in 2019. The projected visitor list in Happy Valley is one of the best of all-time for the program.
“Now, obviously, not only is it impactful for us, you think about how many of our guys talk about their recruiting process and how the White Out had a big impact on that,” James Franklin said this week. “You think about when we got here. A lot of the good players that were on the team talked about that five-overtime win with Michigan. It was a ton of guys on our roster that had experienced that.
“So it’s meaningful. It’s not just meaningful for our football program.”
