Penn State stays hot, adds defensive lineman Xavier Gilliam following official visit
WIlde Lake prospect Xavier Gilliam became Penn State’s first defensive line commitment in the Class of 2024 Sunday. A native of Columbia, Md., Gilliam earned an offer from the Nittany Lions in February and has long been considered one of the staff’s top interior defensive line targets.
Listed at 6-foot-2, 260 pounds, Gilliam originally planned to take official visits to a handful of schools, as N.C. State, Duke and Virginia Tech all had visits set for the next three weeks. However, after his third visit to Happy Valley, the Wilde Lake prospect knew where he belonged.
“Penn State is definitely an amazing university and I really got to experience that over the weekend,” Gilliam said. “They’ve always been very consistent and showing interest in me ever since they offered. They’ve shown me a bunch of love. When I got on campus for my official then, it was crazy. Everyone knew my name, even people I never met before. Stuff like that always makes you feel good.
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“But I’ve been up to Penn State three times and my parents have never been there before, so just seeing them connect with Coach [James] Franklin and Coach Deion [Barnes], it was just amazing.”
In addition to the coaches, Gilliam said he also became more comfortable with the current players. He was hosted by sophomore edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton.
“I got to spend a lot of time with the players. My host was Dani, and I got to spend time with Zane [Durant] a little bit, too. They’re super cool dudes. One of the things they really told me was that the D-line is like a brotherhood. Those guys are one of the closest groups on the team. I really could see myself being a part of that.”
Overall, Gilliam earned just over 20 scholarship offers. In addition to the schools he planned to visit, programs like Maryland, Ole Miss, Pitt, Texas A&M and West Virginia also extended scholarship offers.
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Gilliam holds an 87 overall rating by On3, making him a three-star prospect. The On3 Industry Ranking has him at No. 756 nationally and No. 19 in the state of Maryland.
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“He is a dynamic athlete that has an incredible presence around the line of scrimmage,” said Wilde Lake head coach Brian Henderson. “He is being looked at as a hybrid pass defender that can put his hand in the ground or a stand-up rush end from the boundary. [Gilliam is] explosive, strong, and very intelligent. One of the best pass rushers and can change direction with a drop of a dime. His best asset is how coachable he is. This young man has not reached his potential.”
The Nittany Lions are expected to sign over 25 prospects in this year’s class. The defensive line is a key position, as new position coach Deion Barnes aims to sign around three defensive tackles and two edge rushers.
In addition to Gilliam, the Nittany Lions hosted a handful of other defensive line targets, including Liam Andrews, Amaris Williams, Jaylen Harvey and Deyvid Palepale. Gilliam said he’s excited to kickstart this year’s defensive line class.
“Coach Deion is a new coach, but I do believe in him and I believe in what he can do for Penn State and for me,” he said. “So, I’m excited to be that first guy. To be honest, after spending time with him and everyone on Saturday, it was a no-brainer for me.”
