Penn State lands commitment No. 15 in safety DaKaari Nelson
Penn State’s run on the recruiting trail took another major step in the right direction Saturday with the addition of safety DaKaari Nelson. A four-star prospect according to the On3 Consensus, Nelson earned an offer from the Nittany Lions back in August. He immediately developed a relationship with multiple members of the staff, but his interest became clear in November when he and his family drove 28 hours roundtrip from Selma, Ala., to watch Penn State play Rutgers.
Nelson announced in March that the Nittany Lions were one of 11 schools standing out, but it was also becoming clear at the time that Auburn, Clemson and Tennessee were the main competitors. All three of those schools got him on campus at some point in 2022, with Penn State being the only program to host him for an official visit in June.
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Going into that visit, Nelson was open about the fact that he already felt very comfortable with the staff. What Penn State needed to do was show his family that coming north was the right thing for his future.
“I got three little sisters and I know they run around a lot,” Nelson told On3’s Jeremy Johnson. “They helped look after them a lot. I know they needed a lot of stuff. They put a lot of attention into them and made sure they got what they wanted and made sure everyone got what they needed.”
It also helped that Nelson was hosted by Harrison Wallace, who also grew up in Alabama and played 7-on-7 previously with Nelson.
“Me and Harrison played on the same 7-on-7 team my freshman year of high school,” Nelson told BWI following his official visit. “So, I already knew him well. He showed us around campus and [introduced] me to some of the other players on the team. I liked getting to know all of those guys.”
Nelson originally planned to take a few more visits during the season but did admit that he considered committing to Penn State while on campus two weeks ago.
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“The day we left from up there, I was thinking about it,” Nelson said. “I gave it a little bit more time to think about it for the last two weeks. I talked to my parents about it.”
With Nelson now committed, Penn State is up to 15 commitments in the Class of 2023. He’s the fourth player to join the class just this month. Three-star prospects Yazeed Haynes and Tyriq Blanding were the first two, followed by another Alabama native, Tomarrion Parker, earlier this week.
Nelson is now the fifth-ranked player in the class according to the On3 Consensus. He’s the eighth four-star prospect and the second safety, joining St. Thomas Aquinas prospect Conrad Hussey.
“It’s going to be one of the top five classes if not the number one class,” Nelson said. “By the time it’s all said and done, we’re going to be at the top of the charts.”
