STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — National Signing Day 2021 is expected to be a happy day for Happy Valley.
Penn State is expected to make a huge haul today as recruits from across the nation officially declare their intentions to join the university and its football program.
The Nittany Lions are expected to land a top five recruiting class once signing day is over. SI.com had Penn State's class ranked No 1. over the summer, and even though the Lions have dropped a bit in the rankings since then, they're still expected to be among the top classes this year.
Locally, four Central Pennsylvania athletes have signed to join Penn State's program: Central York QB Beau Pribula, Governor Mifflin RB Nick Singleton, CD East WR Mehki Flowers, and Manheim Township WR Anthony Ivey.
Here are the signings announced so far by Penn State. The list will be updated throughout the day as more recruits sign on.
1. QB Drew Allar (Medina, Ohio)
Considered to be the gem of Penn State's class, Allar is a five-star player considered by most experts to be the nation's top QB recruit.
2. P/K Alex Bacchetta (Atlanta, GA)
Bacchetta is considered to be the nation's top recruit as a punter.
3. WR Anthony Ivey (Lancaster/Manheim Township)
A four-star recruit, Ivey caught 49 passes for 655 yards and eight touchdowns in his senior season with the Blue Streaks. He picked Penn State early, and remained firm in his commitment despite overtures from Auburn, Arizona State, Cincinnati and Maryland.
4. DT Dane Zurant (Lake Nona, FL)
A four-star recruit at defensive tackle, Durant set a single-season record for sacks in his senior season at Lake Nona High School, recording 13 in just seven games.
5. RB Nick Singleton (Shillington/Governor Mifflin)
Berks County's all-time leading rusher was an early verbal commit to Penn State. He made it official today. Singleton was a 2,000-yard rusher in his senior season alone.
6. Beau Pribula (York/Central York)
The Panthers' signal caller joins Allar in the Nittany Lions' QB room after a brilliant four-year career at Central York. Pribula led the Panthers to the state championship game in his junior season and the District 3 semifinals as a senior, when he passed for more than 2,600 yards and 33 touchdowns.
7. DB Kevin Winston (Columbia, MD)
Projected to play safety in Happy Valley, Winston is a four-star recruit who was just named the All-Met Defensive Player Player of the Year by The Washington Post after his senior season at Dematha Catholic HS.
8. OL Maleek McNeil (New York, NY)
The 6-7, 355-pound behemoth played on both sides of the ball and punted for Walter Panas HS. He picked Penn State over Auburn, Pitt, and others.
9. TE Jerry Cross (Milwaukee, WI)
A four-star recruit, Cross is considered to be the No. 8 tight end in this year's class by 247 Sports.
10. OL Drew Shelton (Downingtown/Downingtown West)
A four-star recruit at offensive tackle, Shelton was a standout for Downingtown West High School.
11. DB Cam Miller (Yulee, FL)
A four-star recruit out of Trinity Christian Academy, Miller projects as a cornerback in the Nittany Lions' secondary.
12. WR Tyler Johnson (Martinsville, VA)
A three-star recruit out of Magna Vista High School, Johnson could be a future kick and punt returner for the Nittany Lions as he joins a crowded group of talented receivers.
13. WR Omari Evans (Killeen, TX)
Though he played quarterback for Shoemaker High School, this three-star recruit will play wide receiver for the Nittany Lions.
14. LB Ken Talley (Philadelphia/Northeast HS)
An edge rusher, Talley is considered to be one of the top defensive recruits in Pennsylvania.
15. LB Keon Wyile (Philadelphia/Imhotep)
A three-star recruit who projects to be a weakside linebacker, Wylie is one of several big names out of the Philadelphia area signing on with Penn State today.
16. DE Dani Dennis-Sutton (Millsboro, DE)
A four-star recruit out of McDonough High School, Dennis-Sutton first committed to Penn State in July, picking them over Georgia and many other top programs.
17. LB Abdul Carter (Philadelphia/LaSalle)
A four-star recruit, Carter is a two-time All-State selection who led LaSalle to a Philadelphia Catholic League championship this season.
18. OL J.B. Nelson (Lackawanna CC/Mt. Lebanon HS)
Nelson is a junior-college recruit originally out of Mt. Lebanon High School. He spent last season at Lackawanna Community College. He picked Penn State over Maryland, NC State, and West Virginia.
19. DT Kaleb Artis (Queens, NY)
A three-star recruit, the 6-4, 290-pound Artis was a standout player at Saint Francis Preparatory High School. He picked Penn State in July after making visits to Happy Valley, Auburn, and Virginia.
20. RB Kaytron Allen (Norfolk, VA)
Another four-star recruit out of IMG Academy, Allen joins Nick Singleton among Penn State's newest running backs. Allen received a total of 35 scholarship offers and picked the Nittany Lions from a Top Ten group that also included Alabama, Maryland, Tennessee, USC, Georgia, Ohio State, Florida, Texas, and Miami.
21. DB Christian Driver (Flower Mound, TX)
The son of former NFL star Donald Driver, this four-star recruit picked Penn State over 43 other suitors, including Alabama, Auburn, Florida, LSU, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Texas A&M. He projects as a safety, but could also play wide receiver. Fun fact: Penn State coach James Franklin was Donald Driver's position coach with the Green Bay Packers in 2005.
22. WR/DB Mehki Flowers (Harrisburg/CD East)
Considered a four-star recruit by multiple recruiting publications, Flowers joins Central PA standouts Beau Pribula, Anthony Ivey, and Nick Singleton in Happy Valley, where he projects to play defensive back. Flowers helped lead Steelton-Highspire to a PIAA Class A championship in 2020 as a junior before transferring to CD East for his senior season, where he was a three-way threat as a receiver, defensive back and kick returner.
23. WR Kaden Saunders (Columbus, OH)
A four-star recruit at wide receiver, Saunders was the first person to commit to Penn State during a recruiting rush in July 2020. A standout at Westerville South HS, Saunders joins a crowded group of talented wideouts in Happy Valley.