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Penn State inches upward in updated Class of 2023 rankings

nate-mug-10.12.14by:Nate Bauer•06/30/22•

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Penn State head coach James Franklin has the Big Ten's second-ranked recruiting class. (Steve Manuel/BWI)

The latest verbal commitment to Penn State football’s Class of 2023, King Mack, gave the Nittany Lions a bump. But the slight increase, 90.62 to 90.825, wasn’t enough to jump Southern Cal in the updated On3 team rankings.

With 11 commitments to Penn State’s 16, the Trojans maintained a slight lead over the Nittany Lions with a score of 90.869. The Nittany Lions stand at No. 8, the Trojans at 7.

Now raking in commitments from Mack, plus four-star DE Tomarrion Parker (No. 99), four-star safety DaKaari Nelson (No. 264), three-star receiver Yawed Haynes (No. 752), and three-star defensive lineman Tariq Blanding (No. 798) in June alone, Penn State has maintained its pace among the country’s top 10 recruiting classes.

King Mack’s boost to Penn State’s recruiting class

A four-star prospect according to the On3 Consensus, Mack carries a national ranking of No. 255. He’s also the 21st-ranked safety in the Class of 2023 and No. 50 in Florida.

Narrowing his choices to Penn State and Michigan State before making his announcement Thursday, Mack identified his reason for picking the Nittany Lions.

“Penn State was just a different vibe,” Mack told On3’s Joseph Hastings. “Happy Valley, once I got there, I knew that was the place to be. The way Coach Franklin cares for the kids, he sees bigger than football. But he doesn’t settle for a bachelor’s degree. He wants you to get your master’s degree. That separates and makes a difference between being mediocre and being great. That just stood out for me. What they’re building, it’s wonderful.”

That last bit, “what they’re building,” is something Mack’s commitment continues to bolster.

Class of 2023 team ranking

Now boasting 16 commitments, Penn State trails only Texas (17) for total pledges in the Class of 2023 among Top 10-ranked programs. Notre Dame (No. 2), Penn State (No. 8), and Arkansas (No. 10), are tied for second for total commitments.

Breaking down the class by star-rating, Penn State is now up to 10 four-stars and six three-stars. The 10 four-stars are tied with Texas, while Clemson (14), Notre Dame (12) and Ohio State (11) all have more.

In the updated Big Ten team recruiting rankings, the Nittany Lions stand second to Ohio State (No. 1 overall and in B1G), and in front of Michigan State (3), Northwestern (4), Iowa (5), Nebraska (6), Minnesota (7), Wisconsin (8), Purdue (9), Michigan (10), Rutgers (11), Illinois (12), Maryland (13), and Indiana (14).

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