A lot of the eyes in Happy Valley will be glued to the action on the field Saturday afternoon as Penn State hosts Ohio State in the biggest game of the season, but a lot of eye will also be in the stands, searching to see which college stars of tomorrow are considering taking their talents to State College.
Over 100 recruits are expected to be inside Beaver Stadium to watch the Nittany Lions take on the Buckeyes, including some high-profile players committed to elsewhere, namely 5-star quarterback Matt Zollers.
Zollers, who plays for Spring-Ford High School in Royersford, Pa., is a consensus top-10 player in the state. He’s currently committed to Missouri.
That isn’t the only in-state target that James Franklin and Co. could possibly flip. Four-star tight end Andrew Olesh, who plays for Southern Lehigh in Center Valley and is committed to Michigan, is also scheduled to make an appearance on Saturday.
After seeing how involved Tyler Warren is in Andy Kotelnicki’s offense, it could be enticing for Olesh to stay home. Regardless, this is a prime opportunity for Penn State to impress its local talent, especially after the noise that swirled about how most of the state’s top recruits are choosing elsewhere, including edge rusher Zahir Mathis and defensive lineman Maxwell Roy, who are currently committed to…Ohio State.
Getting everyone to stay home isn’t realistic, but getting more of the top players to stay can only bode well for the Nittany Lions.
It’s not just 2025 recruits that’ll be in attendance: a bevy of 2026 recruits will be in attendance, including some of the following:
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4-star IOL Tyler Merrill
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4-star safety Joey O’Brien
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4-star wide receiver Connor Salmin
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4-star cornerback Jakob Weatherspoon
The picture is clear: Penn State’s future will be just as prominent as the present come Saturday afternoon.
This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: Penn State to host over 100 recruits against Ohio State
