Charles Power breaks down Penn State commit Marcus Stokes
Penn State picked up its quarterback Friday with the addition of Florida native Marcus Stokes.
Recruiting a quarterback after taking two the previous year is never easy, but when one of them is a five-star player, it complicates things even more.
Drew Allar and Beau Pribula are both now on campus, and all indications so far suggest that they’re adapted well. Now, Penn State knows who its next quarterback will be in Stokes, and On3 Director of Scouting Charles Power likes what he’s seen from the Ponte Vedra Beach native.
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“The first thing that jumps out about Marcus Stokes is his quick release and live arm,” Power said, referring to the new Penn State signal-caller. “You can really see this in the camp setting. Stokes gets the ball out fast. He can deliver from multiple arm slots and is comfortable making off-platform throws.
“Stokes is able to generate considerable zip, especially on short and intermediate throws. 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.”
Penn State started monitoring Stokes towards the end of his junior season. He put up some solid numbers in 2021, throwing for 2,672 yards and 22 touchdowns. Stokes also rushed for 496 yards and six scores. That grabbed the attention of a handful of schools, but it wasn’t until January, when he attended the National Combine in San Antonio, that schools really took notice.
“Before the All-American Combine, I was only talking to a couple schools. I had no offers and just a couple schools showing interest,” Stokes said. “Wake Forest, Cincinnati, UNC Charlotte, a few others. I mainly just talked the QB coaches at those schools. Toledo was another one, but no one was really hot on me. So, I think there’s no doubt that me performing well at the National Combine absolutely had a big impact on my recruitment.”
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Stokes is currently the 24th-ranked quarterback in the country according to the On3 Consensus. Power ranks him harder than the industry average, ranking him at No. 18 nationally at the quarterback position.
Penn State has now landed two Class of 2023 commitments in the past week, as tight end Andrew Rappleyea flipped his commitment from Michigan last Sunday. Power said that he’s been high on the newest Penn State tight end since the initial On300 release last August.
“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.”
