Penn State DE recruit Jameial Lyons announces top five schools

Penn State has a deep defensive end board for the Class of 2023, one of whom is Philadelphia native Jameial Lyons.

A four-star prospect according to On3, Lyons has been a regular visitor over the years. He earned an offer from the Nittany Lions last July following a strong camp performance, and now he’s narrowed his list to five schools. As expected, Penn State made the cut, along with Cincinnati, Illinois, Pittsburgh and West Virginia. 

After announcing his top five schools on Twitter Friday, Lyons gave his thoughts on each program below.

Lyons discusses Top Schools

Pitt: Pitt has a good culture. Me and my guy, Coach [Cory] Sanders, we have a good bond. I feel like I really know him. It’s a really good culture there and I think I’d like being a part of it.

Cincinnati: Just look at what they did last year. They had a great team, going all the way to the final four last year. They lost in the final four, but they’re building something there. Cincinnati has Temple’s old defensive line coach [Walter Stewart], too, and he’s my guy. We’ve been talking for a long time now. I’d like being a part of what they have going.

West Virginia: With West Virginia, they have that country vibe and I like it. I think I have good communication with everyone on their staff, from the offensive coaches to the defense. They have a really good defensive scheme. Going there would be something new for me. I think it would be a good experience.

Link: March 26 Penn State visitor preview

Illinois: I talk to my guy, Coach [Andy] Buh, all the time. He’s my guy. He’s a real funny guy and I think we have a good bond. They also have a good defensive scheme. I like that they run a 3-4 [defense] there and I’m projected to play outside linebacker for them. They have a spot that I’d like to play over there.

Penn State: I’ve probably been to Penn State, since my freshman year, six or seven times. That’s my hometown school. From the environment to the academics to the team meetings to the coaching staff, everything there works for me. I went to the White Out game at Penn State one time and it was incredible. I could picture myself walking out the tunnel there, being there for the next three or four years, being in that blue and white. Coach [James] Franklin is a great head coach, too. There’s not too many people out there in the world who really want to help people out. He cares about you more than just a football player. He wants to help you get to the NFL, but also be successful after that. So, I know Penn State got a good coach there.

Upcoming Visits

Lyons added that he’ll likely narrow his list again to a top two or three before the summer. Official visits in June will likely follow, with a decision coming at some point before his senior season.

In the more immediate future, he hopes to visit a few schools in April. Currently, Penn State is the only school that he has a specific date for.

Link: Penn State makes top five for five-star RB Treyaun Webb

“I’ll probably get to Pitt in the next few weeks,” Lyons said. “Illinois, I’m trying to line up a visit there soon, too. Penn State, I know I’m going up there on [April 6]. West Virginia, I’ll probably get there soon, too. I’m looking at maybe going to West Virginia in like three weeks.”

Aside from Penn State, Lyons has only visited Rutgers and West Virginia so far. He went to Rutgers last summer, while West Virginia hosted him for an unofficial visit back in January.

According to the On3 Consensus, Lyons is a three-star prospect, ranking No. 466 nationally. However, our scouts at On3 rank him much higher. In addition to giving him a four-star rating, Lyons is a member of the On300 for the Class of 2023, coming in at No. 241 overall. On3 has him ranked No. 4 overall in Pennsylvania.