Penn State adds Florida wide receiver to weekend visit list
Penn State appears to be on verge of adding a few wide receivers to its commitment list, but that hasn’t stopped James Franklin and Marques Hagans from being aggressive on the recruiting trail.
Coming into the weekend, West Virginia native and IMG Academy prospect Jerrae Hawkins was expected to be the only official visitor on campus. Now, that number has climbed to two, as Florida native Hardley Gilmore confirmed via Twitter Thursday evening that he’s set to take an official visit this upcoming weekend.
The name shouldn’t be a surprise to Blue White Illustrated subscribers. Just last Friday, Sean Fitz reported on Hardley in his latest ‘S’ Zone.
“New non-camp names don’t always pop up at this time of year, but there’s a situation worth watching in Florida,” Fitz wrote. “Pahokee (Fla.) wide receiver Hardley Gilmore has reclassified from 2025 to 2024 and Penn State is involved. He’ll take an official visit to Kentucky this weekend, but Florida seems to be the main player otherwise. It’s a situation not unlike Cutter Boley, who was old for his class. Gilmore was the No. 112 overall prospect and No. 18 wide receiver in the Class of 2025 before his reclassification. We’ll see if Penn State gets him to campus before the end of the month.”
Link: Who are the top prospects expected to attend Penn State’s Lion Strong 7-on-7?
Now a 2025 prospect, Gilmore doesn’t rank quite as high as he did in next year’s class, but he’s still considered a top prospect. On3 still has him as a four-star player, although he’s outside of the On300 in the Class of 2024. The On3 Industry Ranking has him at No. 238 overall, 41st at his position and No. 36 in Florida for 2024.
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Earlier this year, Gilmore took unofficial visits to multiple southern schools, including Florida, Georgia, Texas A&M and UCF. As noted above, Kentucky hosted him this past weekend for an official visit, but Florida has been considered the team to beat since the spring.
“Right now, Florida is No. 1. They are at the top right now,” Hardley said. “[Wide receivers] coach Billy [Gonzales] wasn’t there, but I was talking with (assistant wide receivers) coach [David] Doeker because I’ve been having a great bond with him. I also spoke with Coach Napier. They like my talent and how I get separation down the field. Also, my athleticism and game, like, how I can play in the SEC for the Gators.”
The Nittany Lions hold one wide receiver commitment currently from Tyseer Denmark, who committed Wednesday evening. Both Peter Gonzalez, from Pittsburgh, and Josiah Brown, from New York, are now set to announce their commitments Friday at 7 p.m. ET. Penn State is considered the team to beat with both players.
