Penn State football is undefeated on the season and careening toward a showdown with the Ohio State football team on October 21. The Nittany Lions have dominated so far this year on the strength of an athletic defense and superb quarterback play by former five-star Drew Allar.
Recently a Penn State football lineman got a huge honor following his performance against the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday. Ball security has been an area of focus for Coach James Franklin's team lately according to recent comments.
On Monday, Penn State football picked up a commitment from a key prospect who chose the team over Ohio State football and Michigan football. Tiqwai Hayes, an in-state four-star from the Keystone State, made his pledge to the Nittany Lions' 2025 recruiting class.
Hayes faked out Ohio State and Michigan supporters by grabbing the teams' hats before picking Penn State.
Aside from the Buckeyes and Wolverines, he also held offers from West Virginia, Pitt, Syracuse, and Maryland among others.
He shows blazing speed in his highlight tapes.
Hayes is 5-foot-11 and ranked as a Top 350 player in the nation at number 342. He is the 11th-ranked player in the state of Pennsylvania and the second running back in the team's 2025 class along with Kiandrea Baker of Woodland Hills, Texas, who committed to Penn State football back in April.
Rivals.com lists him as a four-star prospect.
The Nittany Lions are currently loaded at the running back position with sophomore Nick Singleton flanked by Kaytron Allen. The dynamic duo hasn't quite matched its explosive potential of last year, but Allar's play at the QB position has helped Penn State to a 4-0 start with two Big Ten wins to its name thus far.
Penn State football is tied with Michigan, Ohio State and Maryland for first place in the Big Ten East as the season continues toward the meat of the conference schedule. The hope for Franklin's team is that the running game can improve in time for Penn State's showdown with the Buckeyes next month.