Penn State picks up in-state commitment from wide receiver Peter Gonzalez
Penn State picked up its second wide receiver commitment in the Class of 2024 Friday in Pittsburgh native Peter Gonzalez. Listed at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, Gonzalez’s path to State College is one of the more interesting stories in this year’s class.
After tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in Jan. 2022 during a 7-on-7 competition, it looked as if Gonzalez’s recruitment could be derailed before it really got going. Schools like Penn State offered following the injury, but Gonzalez and everyone around him knew they’d be contingent on how he recovered.
When he got the opportunity to return to the field a few games into the 2022 season, Gonzalez performed well, totaling 42 receptions for 737 yards and seven touchdowns. The film certainly grabbed the attention of schools across the region, but with limited testing information, schools still wanted to see more.
Gonzalez ran track for the first time this past spring to help showcase his skills, running a personal best of 10.86 seconds in the 100-meter. He then followed that up at the end of April with his most impressive workout yet, running a 4.49-second 40-yard dash in rainy conditions at the UC Report in New Jersey.
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And yet, despite all of that, it was Gonzalez’s decision to also camp with James Franklin and his staff earlier this month that officially put him over the line. In addition to backing up his 40 time, Gonzalez ran a 4.2-second shuttle and had a broad jump of over 10 feet.
“When I ran my 40, Franklin came up to me and said that’s all they needed. He basically said that’s what we really wanted to see and we knew you could do it. Even before camp, he was telling me we know what you can do, which put my mind at ease. But it’s definitely been all positive feedback since camp.”
Gonzalez ultimately still took two official visits following that camp, first going to Virginia Tech, June 9-11. Brent Pry and his assistant coaches recruited Gonzalez as hard as any school in recent months. However, the allure of playing for a program of Penn State’s caliber was too much for the Hokies to overcome.
“Honestly, through the ups and downs, they’ve been pretty consistent. They were one of the first schools to offer me and Coach [Terry] Smith has been consistent the whole way,” Gonzalez said. “They’ve been very honest with my family, which we value a lot. After everything I’ve been through and everything I’ve done, I feel like I’ve truly earned my spot there. I feel like I earned the respect of the people there, which makes it feel like home.
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“It’s also close to home, which is a big deal for me and my family. I want them to be able to see me play.”
His connection with Nittany Lion receivers coach Marques Hagans also played a role.
“At camp, I was able to be coached by him and I feel like his style fits me well. I can tell based on his past work that he knows how to develop receivers and really be a coach. Some guys want players who can do it all already. He’s someone who can develop you into a better player. That’s what I want when I go to college. I want to become the best person and the best receiver I can be. Just being able to spend time with he and his family during the visit, I can tell he’s a man that will help me grow into the man I’m supposed to be.”
Gonzalez holds a three-star rating by On3 and all four major recruiting services. Other notable schools that offered included Cincinnati, Maryland, Miami, Pitt, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
He now joins his high school teammate, Anthony Speca, who committed to Penn State earlier this year.
“He’s super happy for me and happy I’m going to come play college ball with him. It’s awesome whenever you’re able to go play at the next level with a high school teammate. But he’s also one of my closest friends, so this is going to be a great journey that we get to share together.”
