DEAL: Penn State confirm another wide receiver in the 2025 recruiting class
Following last season’s struggles on offense and the transfer portal departures of KeAndre Lambert-Smith and Dante Cephas, concerns have been mounting about James Franklin and wide receivers coach Marques Hagan’s ability to recruit and develop talent at the position. Julian Fleming joined Penn State via the transfer portal this offseason, but without key additions in the 2025 recruiting class, the talent in the wide receiver room could diminish rapidly.
Jeff Exinor Jr., a large four-star WR/TE hybrid from Maryland, has been the standout pass-catcher in the 2025 class, and Penn State avoided a major setback by securing a commitment from Florida four-star Koby Howard after missing out on players like Lex Cyrus, Matthew Outten, and Quincy Porter. However, Franklin and Hagans still need to add another weapon for the passing game, and their focus is clear.
On Wednesday, Florida four-star Naeshaun Montgomery announced Penn State as one of his six finalists, alongside Alabama, Florida, Florida State, LSU, and Oregon.
— Naeshaun Montgomery (@NaeshaunM) August 14, 2024
The 6-foot-1, 165-pound high school senior is expected to commit to Florida, according to 247Sports experts. However, recent activity on his social media suggests he might reconsider and join Howard, another wide receiver from Florida, in heading north to Happy Valley.
We Are…? 🤔🦁 pic.twitter.com/cHKoZfCkJe
— Naeshaun Montgomery (@NaeshaunM) August 15, 2024
Penn State’s 2025 recruiting class suffered a setback when running back Kiandrea Barker de-committed, leaving Franklin and his staff with 23 players, only two running backs, and the 15th-ranked class in the nation.
Despite this, the addition of Exinor and Howard has strengthened Penn State’s receiver group, and if the reports from fall camp are accurate, true freshman Tyseer Denmark could emerge as a rising star. These developments have eased much of the pressure on Franklin and Hagans, making Montgomery’s potential commitment the icing on the cake.
As the regular season nears, the 2025 recruiting class isn’t the coaching staff’s top priority, but they’ll be paying close attention on August 25 at 5:00 p.m. ET when Montgomery is set to announce his decision.