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Penn State adds DeMatha safety Darrell Carey to Class of 2026

Mug-Shot 4x4by:Ryan Snyder•04/18/25•

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DeMatha safety Darrell Carey. (Credit: RickShotThat)

Penn State added another safety to its Class of 2026 Friday, locking up DeMatha prospect Darrell Carey. A three-star prospect by On3 and in the Industry Rankings, Carey was offered by the staff last November after attending the game against Ohio State.

The 6-foot-2, 185-pound defensive back saw his list of offers nearly double to 19 schools during the January contact period. He then narrowed that down to Penn State, Maryland, Oregon, South Carolina and Texas A&M in March. In the end, Maryland was the only other school that Carey visited leading up to last weekend’s trip to Penn State. That’s when today’s announcement was put into motion.

“We talked about it when I went up there to watch their practice last week,” Carey said. “I then called them up [Thursday] morning to let them know that I was ready to make my decision.”

Carey admitted that Penn State has been the team to beat in his recruitment for months. He mentioned his relationship with the staff and how the Nittany Lions plan to use him as two major reasons why.

“It was mainly their coaching staff and their defensive scheme. I feel like I fit really well into what they do,” Carey said. “Also, the history that DeMatha has with Penn State is very strong. My school has always had a good connection with Penn State and that helped me build a good connection with Coach [James] Franklin and Coach [Anthony] Poindexter. Not only do they feel like I fit well into their scheme, but they care about you graduating and care about you as a person. It’s just a good fit for me all-around.”

Poindexter’s personality was another major reason why the Nittany Lions had an edge on the rest.

“I just love the fact that he’s a real person. He’s not the type to tell you what you want to hear,” Carey said. “A lot of coaches tell you what you want to hear. Coach Dex always keeps it real. He’s also been consistent with me for a year now. He’s the kind of coach I’ve been looking for.”

While on campus last week, Carey had a constructive conversation with current safety Zakee Wheatley. In fact, he mentioned both Wheatley and KJ Winston’s success as the template he hopes to follow.

“His advice was to stay focused when I got there and to stay on my grind,” Carey said, referring to Wheatley. “That’s what both him and KJ did when they got there. They weren’t there to fool around. They went there to ball.”

Carey went on to add, “KJ was one of the best safeties to ever come out of DeMatha and Penn State made him into an NFL Draft pick. They see me now and believe that we have a similar style. They told me they’re going to hold me to an even higher standard compared to if KJ didn’t go there. That’s what I need.”

During his junior season, Carey totaled 65 tackles and three interceptions, two of which he took back for touchdowns. He also allowed just one reception when matched up in man-to-man coverage. Carey is the second prospect from DeMatha to commit to Penn State’s 2026 class, joining wide receiver Lavar Keys.

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