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Berks County produced one of the nation’s top recruits in the last cycle. Penn State is hoping to have struck gold in the Reading area for a second straight year.
The Nittany Lions landed a commitment from Wyomissing offensive lineman Jven Williams on Saturday, with the four-star prospect rated by one service as the top overall player in the state for the 2023 recruiting cycle.
Williams joins 2022 signee Nick Singleton, the running back from Governor Mifflin who won three national player of the year awards following his senior season.
Singleton is already enrolled at Penn State. Williams has another year to go at Wyomissing, which went all the way the Class 3A state title game in the fall, before signing with the Lions in December.
“First off I would (like) to thank my mom and pops,” Williams wrote on Twitter. “Thank you for all the sacrifices you have made for me and thank you for providing for me and teaching me life long lessons! Thank you coach Steve O’Neil and (former Wyomissing and NFL offensive lineman) Ross Tucker for guiding me through the recruiting process and being there for me on and off the field. Lastly I would like to thank the big man upstairs! Thank you God for for listening to my prayers and getting me to this point in my life.
“What that being said … I’m staying home!”
At 6-foot-4, 285 pounds, Williams could potentially play tackle or guard at the next level. He is a consensus top-100 overall prospect in the nation for 2023 and is the country’s No. 10 tackle in the 247Sports Composite rankings.
Williams chose Penn State over Michigan, Michigan State, Pitt, Ole Miss, Illinois and Rutgers, whom he named his finalists last month.
The Lions now have eight verbal commitments for the 2023 class, and four of them are offensive linemen. At this early stage, Williams checks in as the second-highest rated player in the group, behind only Alex Birchmeier, a five-star interior lineman and the No. 1 player in Virginia.
Two other Virginia offensive linemen are also already in the fold in Joshua Miller and Anthony Donkoh, who pledged last week. Penn State also has a commitment from 6-foot-6 athlete Mathias “Mega” Barnwell, who has played tight end but could conceivably end up at tackle in college.
Penn State closed out its 2022 class last week at No. 6 in the country, and the Lions are hoping for consecutive top-10 finishes to help their chances of breaking through and grabbing the program’s first College Football Playoff berth.
They’re off to a good start for 2023. With plenty of time still to go, the Lions are up to No. 3 nationally in the Composite team rankings, tops in the Big Ten.