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Where Penn State football's Class of 2023 ranks following Marcus Stokes' commitment

IMG_1698 5 (1)by:David Eckert•04/11/22•

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Penn State landed its quarterback for the Class of 2023 Friday in QB Marcus Stokes. (Credit: On3)

Penn State Nittany Lions football landed its ninth commitment in the Class of 2023 Friday evening in Marcus Stokes.

Stokes, a quarterback out of Ponta Vedra Beach, Florida, is a three-star prospect. According to the On3 Consensus, he’s the No. 463 overall recruit in the country, and the No. 24 quarterback.

So where does that leave the Nittany Lions in the rankings?

According to On3’s metrics, the Penn State Class of 2023 still ranks fifth nationally and second in the Big Ten, behind only Ohio State. Michigan is following the Nittany Lions closely in third place in the conference.

There is optimism among experts that Stokes is a player who could outperform his rating. On3 Director of Scouting Charles Power praised his quick release and live arm when speaking to BWI following his commitment.

“Stokes is able to generate considerable zip, especially on short and intermediate throws,” Power said. “He’s competitive and plays with an edge. We also see Stokes show off some above-average mobility as a runner. He had a good junior season and isn’t at a top program, but could stand to improve his production moving forward.”

Breaking down Penn State’s recruiting class

Stokes is the fifth prospect with a three-star rating to commit to the Nittany Lions in this cycle.

Joining Stokes are offensive linemen Anthony Donkoh and Joshua Miller, cornerback Lamont Payne, and tight end Joey Schlaffer.

The quartet of four-star prospects currently verbally committed to Penn State are athlete Mathias Barnwell, tight end Andrew Rappleyea, and offensive linemen Jven Williams and Alex Birchmeier.

Stokes became the second prospect to commit to Penn State’s Class of 2023 in less than a week. He was preceded by Rappleyea, who flipped his commitment from Michigan to the Nittany Lions the previous Sunday.

“I think the first thing that jumps out with Rappleyea is his on-field movement skills and change of direction,” Power said. “We like his route-running ability. He’s able to separate from defenders with some shake and smooth movements. He makes some moves after the catch as well and averaged over 20 yards per reception as a junior.

“We often see top tight end prospects make multi-positional impacts. That’s the case with Rappleyea as well, as he shows off his athleticism doubling as a safety, which is an encouraging sign.”

Stokes’ commitment gave the Nittany Lions their first quarterback commitment of the class. Rappleyea and Schlaffer give Penn State a pair of tight ends, too. And the bulk of the class is made up by four offensive linemen: Birchmeier, Williams, Donkoh and Miller.

On defense, the Nittany Lions’ commits include Payne at corner, and Barnwell, who is listed as an athlete but projects as a defensive tackle.

Penn State does not yet have a commitment at running back, wide receiver, safety, linebacker, or defensive end.

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