Young prospects who stood out at Penn State camp on June 2
Over 300 high school football prospects ranging from Class of 2025 seniors trying to make a lasting impression down to 2028 freshmen cycled through the Penn State football practice fields on Sunday. It’s an overwhelming number of young men vying for the eyes and attention of the coaching staff. So, while it’s impossible for this list to be exhaustive, here are the players that stood out to me when viewing them during the four-hour camp.
Penn State prospects who stood out from the crowd
WR Myles McAfee:
We pour over mounds of testing data and measurements to rank prospects and project their development curve to the next level. Will they have enough size, strength, and speed to be difference-makers at Penn State if the cards fall that way?
Then there are the players who don’t stand out from the crown until they start playing football. Archbishop Spalding wide receiver Myles McAfee falls into that category. Despite being a 2027 wide receiver, McAfee might have been one of the three best overall pass catchers at the camp.
He’s just under 6-0 tall, ran a 4.70 40-yard dash, and has few standout physical traits. But during the one-on-one drills to end camp, McAfee was virtually unguardable for the defensive backs tasked with staying in his hip pocket. McAfee is a fluid receiver who is sudden in his transitions and has a great feel for setting up leverage to snap off a transition and get into space. He also tracks the ball very well and has soft hands at the catch point. Unless there’s some hiccup in his development, he’ll be a player to watch in the coming years.
After a great camp I am blessed to receive a offer from Penn State!!AGTFGIPMFIGFPsalms 37:5@RocCarmichael @dhglover @PennStateFball @realmarkdup @EdOBrienCFB @coachmhagans @247sports @RivalsFriedman @On3sports @TheUCReport @adamgorney @kschmittASHS @coachjfranklin pic.twitter.com/Ou0H9NBTdd— Myles “Scrap” McAfee (@MylesScrap) June 2, 2024
WR Austin Busso:
On the flip side, Bergen Catholic wide receiver Austin Busso wowed with a fast 40 and a broad jump that puts him in the category of explosive athlete. That’s not bad for a fellow 2027 wide receiver and sets a very high bar for his athletic potential. Busso matched those testing numbers in drills and one-on-ones. He ran clean routes through drills with the top unit of wide receivers. His routes and quick transitions around the cones were better than many older wide receivers in attendance.
WR Milan Parris:
There are a lot of similarities between Walsh Jesuit wide receiver Milan Parris and the current commit, Lyrick Samuel. Paris is a full 6-4 with a massive wingspan and a good 40 time for for his size and age. However, Parris fell back into the pack when the ball went into the air during one-on-one drills. He struggled to come down with the catch several times before finishing strong. Yet, if his traits are any indication, he’s a player to watch for 2026.
Penn State prospects in the trenches
Edge Zion Elee:
If you’ve followed our recruiting coverage of spring camps, you already know about Zion Elee from Ryan Snyder’s visit to UA Baltimore. Elee was an equally impressive athlete with wow-level athletic traits and size. He’s not the tallest 2026 defensive end, but it looks like he has nearly 35-inch arms and is incredibly explosive.
Yet on the flip side, Elee is a very raw prospect who is still learning how to use all of that length to his advantage. He took instruction from defensive line coach Deion Barnes well but didn’t blow away the competition in one-on-ones to end camp. In his defense, he was pass-rushing from the interior against Amory Hills, a 2025 offensive lineman with over 80 pounds on him.
iOL Tavian Branch:
The award for “T-Frank is too high on an under-the-radar player” goes to Riverside High School offensive lineman Tavian Branch. But in my defense, Branch is an absolute unit and was one of the most complete-looking offensive linemen in a weaker group. He’s 6-3, 306 pounds of very good weight.
He tested well but moved better than his numbers would indicate. Branch is a raw offensive line prospect who switched over from basketball recently and has only been playing the game for about two years, so everything we’re seeing is new growth. He’s a bit short for Penn State’s typical standards, but his 5.21 40-yard dash time is very good for a player, considering his weight and stature. Branch was most impressive during run-blocking drills, where he showed excellent leverage and incredible natural power from his hips and lower half.
Keep an ear out for this 2026 prospect, who has offers from Temple and Pitt.
EDGE Chris Whitehead:
There was a sweet spot at camp where I could observe the wide receivers and offensive lineman before I switched over to watching the defensive line. So today’s list skews that way as I didn’t spend as much time with the other positions.
So the next on our list is 2027 edge rusher Chris Whitehead. He’s impressively long and has a good frame, already standing at 6-4. His testing metrics won’t wow you, but after watching his 40-yard dash attempts, he clearly doesn’t know how to test. Most of the players who show up at camp don’t know the first thing about how to line up for a 40 or how to start, let alone the techniques for running fast. Whitehead falls into this camp.
But once he got moving, he was impressive to watch. There’s a long way to go in every facet, but Whitehead is another name to know for the upcoming cycles.
Honorable mention
Several players fall into the “looks like” category for quality players in the secondary. 2027 safety Matt Ngon is impressively big for a young prospect at over 6-0 and very well put together. He also tested well, even if he didn’t run a fast 40 for Penn State.
However, the secondary players were hard to observe from my vantage point, and without reviewing the film from one-on-ones, it’s hard to pin down exactly who shined and who struggled in a situation where the receiver has a massive advantage. Ngon held his own against slower receivers but struggled against the talented receivers we mentioned earlier.
The same is true for cornerback Bryson Brown. Brown was at Elite 11 in State College and stood out there as well. He’s not big for a corner but he’s got good growth potential and could still reach 6-0 from his current build. He ran in the low 4.60s and battled with McAfee, but struggled to consistently stay with him. There’s something there with Brown but he’ll need more work before he’s a top corner prospect for Penn State.
The post Young prospects who stood out at Penn State camp on June 2 appeared first on On3.
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