Recruiting Preview: Breaking down Penn State's Dec. 9-11 visitor list

Penn State and every Division I program is now just 12 days out from the start of the early signing period, making this weekend and next their final opportunities to host 2023 prospects on campus before they potentially sign.

At one point, it looked as if the staff would host upwards of 7-8 players for official visits this weekend, but that’s now dropped down to five, as RB Christopher Johnson, DL Quientrail Travis and OL Keyshawn Blackstock will no longer visit. Quarterback Jaxon Smolik, who committed back in August, will also use his official visit this weekend, leaving four players who are either uncommitted currently or they’re working to flip.

Below we take a closer look at the names fans need to know, as well as the list of unofficial visitors who are expected on campus.

WR Dante Cephas

Penn State is aiming to host most of its top targets in the transfer portal next weekend, but former Kent State wide receiver Dante Cephas will come to State College this weekend instead. Since entering the transfer portal, Cephas has earned 11 Power Five offers, including Georgia, Miami, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Pitt, Virginia Tech and West Virginia. It’s unclear currently which of those schools pique his interest the most, but we do expect Penn State to be a serious player.

In 2021, Cephas emerged as one of Kent State’s top playmakers, totaling 1,240 yards receiving and nine touchdowns. An injury this fall forced him to miss a quarter of the season, but he was once again productive, totaling 744 yards and three scores.

A native of Pittsburgh, Pa., Cephas played at Penn Hills High School. Two former teammates, Daequan Hardy and Tank Smith, are currently on Penn State’s roster, and we expect Hardy to be Cephas’ player host this weekend.

On3’s Transfer Portal Rankings currently rate him as the ninth-best receiver in the portal.

DE Joseph Mupoyi

Penn State will be hoping to land a few commitments coming out of this weekend. If they do, there’s a good chance St. Thomas More DL Joseph Mupoyi is one of them. A native of Congo, Mupoyi and his mother came to the United States a few years ago, enrolling him at Archbishop Carroll in Washington, D.C., to pursue a basketball scholarship. Within a year, he decided to give football a try and it proved to be a smart decision, as Mupoyi’s athleticism flashed on film playing alongside five-star prospect Nyckoles Harbor.

The Nittany Lions offered Mupoyi just over a year ago, but with just one season of football under his belt, the staff wanted to see how he progressed before deciding to go all-in. Following an unofficial visit in July, Mupoyi then returned for the White Out game against Minnesota this year. It was following that visit in October that it started to become clear that not only did the staff intend to take him, but also that Mupoyi was leaning towards the Lions. He told us at the time that Penn State’s distance from his mother, who remains in D.C., was a big factor in his recruitment.

Schools like Auburn, Louisville, Maryland, Ole Miss and Virginia Tech have all been showing serious interest in Mupoyi down the stretch. If he doesn’t commit to Penn State this weekend, he’s expected to go to Virginia Tech next weekend.

Mupoyi is currently rated a four-star prospect in the On3 Consensus.

DE Mason Robinson

You won’t find many schools that Penn State has a better history with than McDonogh in Owings Mills, Md. Just look at the current roster, as PJ Mustipher, Dani Dennis-Sutton, Dvon Ellies and Curtis Jacobs all played there.

Back in May, it looked as if DE Mason Robinson was going to be the first top prospect in the past five years to come out of that program and not end up at Penn State, as Robinson committed to Northwestern following an official visit. That decision surprised many, as the Nittany Lions were considered the team to beat, hosting him on campus more than any other school.

Fast-forward to now though and the Lions appear to be in a good position. Following staff changes in Evanston, we don’t expect Robinson to end up with the Wildcats. Other schools are showing interest, as both Notre Dame and Virginia Tech would like to host him for an official visit next weekend, but this is another player that we expect to end up at Penn State. Because of that, I logged a pick for the Lions in On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine on Tuesday.

Robinson is coming off a very impressive senior season, totaling 83 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and nine sacks. He holds a three-star rating currently by On3.

RB Kedrick Reescano

Texas running back Kedrick Reescano was committed to Big Ten foe Michigan State at one point, but that all changed at the end of October when he decided to open up his recruitment. Since then, both Oklahoma State and Ole Miss have hosted him for official visits. Lane Kiffin and his staff are believed to be the team to beat at the moment, but it’s important to note that this is his first trip to Penn State, so this weekend will have a big impact.

Reescano put up some very impressive stats this season, totaling 1,849 yards rushing and 31 touchdowns in just 12 games. He averaged an eye-catching 8.3 yards per carry, while also adding another 249 yards receiving and four scores. Totaling 222 carries, Reescano fumbled just once.

Reescano is a member of the On300, coming in at No. 103 overall. In the On3 Consensus rankings, which equally weigh 247, On3, Rivals and ESPN, Reescano checks in at No. 143 nationally.

Unofficial Visitors at Penn State this weekend

It won’t just be the five official visitors on campus this weekend, as Penn State will welcome many of its committed players for unofficial visits as well. We’ll also see a few committed walk-on players make their way to State College as well.

Below is the confirmed list of unofficial visitors expected at Penn State this weekend.

TE Andrew Rappleyea
OL Anthony Donkoh
DE Bobby Mears (walk-on)
QB Jack Lambert (walk-on)
LB Joey Palko (walk-on)
TE Joey Schlaffer
OL J’ven Williams
OL Liam Powers (walk-on)
RB London Montgomery
OL/DL Mathias Barnwell
LB Tony Rojas
DL Tyriq Blanding
LB Winston Yates (walk-on)
CB Zion Tracy