The final batch of recruiting rankings for the Class of 2023 were updated by 247Sports this week with national signing day coming up next week. Penn State already stood in solid position with its recruiting class for the 2023 cycle with a number of high-profile players rated highly by 247Sports throughout the recruiting cycle. Now, we have one final look at just where Penn State's newest additions fit on the national radar.
In all, nine of Penn State's players in the Class of 2023 received a spot in the Top247 ranking of the top 247 players in the country, including four in the top half of the ranking and three in the top 100.
Here is where each Penn State player landed in the final Top247 rankings.
OL J'Ven Williams
Final ranking: 25
Penn State's top-rated recruit in the Class of 2023 remains offensive lineman [autotag]J'ven Williams[/autotag] from Reading, PA. The top in-state recruit for Penn State will be a massive addition to the offensive line, which appeared to be a high priority in this recruiting cycle.
OL Alex Birchmeier
Final ranking: 83
The first commit in Penn State's Class of 2023 came out of Virginia with [autotag]Alex Birchmeier[/autotag]. Birchmeier became a leading force in helping to recruit others to join him in Happy Valley and Penn State fans should be excited to see him team up with Williams soon enough to pave running lanes for Nick Singleton and protect Drew Allar in the pocket.
DB King Mack
Final ranking: 85
Penn State also addressed the need to add quality help in the defensive secondary with the addition of [autotag]King Mack[/autotag] out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida's St. Thomas Aquinas. Mack will bring good speed to the defense and will be expected to cover ground deep down field with ease.
LB Tony Rojas
Final ranking: 121
Penn State ended up getting the Gatorade High School Player of the Year in the state of Virginia with [autotag]Tony Rojas[/autotag]. The combination of Rojas and Abdul Carter should be fun to watch grow once Rojas develops at the next level.
DB DaKaari Nelson
Final ranking: 132
Penn State nabbed another high-quality defensive back down south with the addition of [autotag]DaKaari Nelson[/autotag] out of Selma, Alabama. Penn State won this recruiting battle against Auburn and a surging Florida State, Tennessee, and Oregon.
DB Elliot Washington
Final ranking: 173
Penn Stae continued to stockpile help for the secondary with the addition of [autotag]Elliot Washington[/autotag], another recruit from Florida. Washington could quickly become a fixture in the Penn State pass defense as he may not need much time to fully develop for the next level.
TE Andrew Rappleyea
Final ranking: 175
Penn State managed to lure tight end [autotag]Andrew Rappleyea[/autotag] away from Michigan for a major recruiting win for James Franklin and the staff. Rappleyea will likely continue to the recent trend of top tight end play exhibited by recent players like Mike Gesicki, Pat Freiermuth, and Brenton Strange.
LB Kaveion Keys
Final ranking: 186
Penn State sure bulked up at the linebacker position in the Class of 2023. In addition to recruiting Tony Rojas, Penn State adds a second Top247 player with [autotag]Kaveion Keys[/autotag], who is also out of Virginia. Penn State grabbing two of the top defensive players in Virginia in the same recruiting cycle is a nice win given that former longtime James Franklin assistant Brent Pry is the head coach at Virginia Tech.
WR Carmelo Taylor
Final ranking: 213
Penn State's success in Virginia continued, this time on the offensive side of the ball. Wide receiver [autotag]Carmelo Taylor[/autotag] could be a nice fit on the offense at receiver, a position in need of some depth in the coming years despite recent transfer additions to patch things up in 2023.
Story originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire
