Penn State Football Signs 22 to 2023 Signing Class

Class features 12 on defense and 10 on offense

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Head coach James Franklin unveiled the 2023 Penn State Football recruiting class today during the Signing Day celebration, presented by UTZ, in the Lasch Football Building.

Penn State welcomed 22 student-athletes, who signed National Letters of Intent to join the football program. Eleven of the signees will be early enrollees in January – Mega Barnwell, Alex Birchmeier, Anthony Donkoh, Lamont Payne Jr., Ta’Mere Robinson, Tony Rojas, Joey Schlaffer, Jaxon Smolik, Zion Tracy, Elliot Washington II and J’ven Williams.

The Nittany Lions signed 15 recruits that were rated four stars or higher by 247Sports, On3, ESPN or Rivals.

Penn State again found success in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions as nine of the signees came from within a 200-mile radius of State College. The Nittany Lions’ class features players from nine different states.

The Class of 2023 features 10 offensive signees and 12 defensive players. There are 19 team captains, three players who have won a state championship four players participating in high school national all-star games.

2023 SIGNEE ROSTER (December 21)

Name                           Pos.     Ht.        Wt.       Hometown/High School

Barnwell, Mega             TE        6-6       250       Fredericksburg, Va./Riverbend

Birchmeier, Alex            OL        6-5       285       Ashburn, Va./Broad Run

Blanding, Ty                  DT        6-1       265       Bronx, N.Y./Christ The King

Donkoh, Anthony          OL        6-5       320       Aldie, Va./Lightridge

Keys, Kaveion               LB        6-2       195       Richmond, Va./Varina

Lyons, Jameial              DE        6-5       250       Philadelphia, Pa./Roman Catholic

Mack, King                   DB       5-10     175       Miami, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas

Montgomery, London    RB        5-10     180       Scranton, Pa./Scranton Prep

Mupoyi, Joseph            DE        6-5       240       Upper Marlboro, Md./St. Thomas More (Conn.)

Nelson, DaKaari             DB       6-3       200       Livingston, Ala./Selma

Payne Jr., Lamont         DB       6-0       185       Carnegie, Pa./Chartiers Valley

Rappleyea, Andrew       TE        6-4       235       Millbrook, N.Y./Milton Academy (Mass.)

Robinson, Mason          DE        6-3       225       Randallstown, Md./McDonogh School

Robinson, Ta’Mere        LB        6-3       230       Pittsburgh, Pa./Brashear

Rojas, Tony                   LB        6-2       195       Fairfax, Va./Fairfax

Schlaffer, Joey              TE        6-5       220       Reading, Pa./Exeter Township

Smolik, Jaxon               QB       6-1       205       Van Meter, Iowa/Dowling Catholic

Taylor, Carmelo             WR       5-11     160       Roanoke, Va./Patrick Henry

Tracy, Zion                   DB       5-11     175       Hempstead, N.Y./St. Thomas More (Conn.)

Wallace, Cam                RB        5-9       175       Mount Vernon, Ga./Montgomery County

Washington II, Elliot       DB       5-11     190       Venice, Fla./Venice

Williams, J’ven              OL        6-5       290       Reading, Pa./Wyomissing