Video recap: Penn State lands first wide receiver in 2025, Lyrick Samuel
Penn State got one of its most anticipated commitments in the Class of 2025 on Monday evening and it wasn’t a quarterback. The wide receivers are on the board after four-star wideout Lyrick Samuel committed to the Lions over several regional schools, including Rutgers. Recruiting insider Sean Fitz discusses Samuel’s recruiting journey to Happy Valley and what the team is getting in the 6-4 wide receiver.
Check out the replay of our live breaking news video embedded in this article, or on the Blue White Illustrated YouTube Channel.
Samuel seemed like a Penn State lean the whole way
To start, Fitz discusses Sameul’s recruiting journey, which was essentialy a well-beaten path down I-80 from The Bronx to Penn State. The New York native visited campus seven times and only took other visits to Rutgers, according to On3. He made the decision final Monday night.
“I [would] like to thank every program that has taken the time to show an interest in me. After deep consideration and conversations with my family I have decided that I will be committing to Penn State University.”
He’s also the first commit for wide receiver coach Marques Hagans in his first full year on the job. Samuel has the curious situation of being a four-star, 91-overall prospect by On3 but not being part of the On300. We discuss how that happens and what might be in store for the rangy wide receiver.
Finally, we break down his game and what style of player Penn State is getting from Erasmus Hall. We’ll discuss his potential, strengths, and areas of development between now and when he finally sees the field.
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Lions are filling up the 2025 cycle early
Samuel is the 12th commitment in the Class of 2025, and the team hasn’t gotten to spring football yet. Additionally, Penn State is in a solid position from a rankings perspective. They’re second nationally behind Notre Dame’s 16 commitment for this cycle with an overall score of 90.44.
Samuel is the sixth offensive player in the 12-person class and pushes Penn State to 13th nationally. The Lions are behind Ohio State (2nd) and Oregon (6th) among Big Ten schools for the 2025 cycle.
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