Penn State football has looked good on the recruiting trail under James Franklin lately, as they have managed to post one of the better 2023 classes in the nation. Franklin was at it again on Friday, adding an ‘elite' quarterback recruit in West Des Moines Dowling Catholic's Jaxon Smolik.
Smolik had decommitted from Tulane on Wednesday. In some ways, it does constitute as a flip for Penn State football. The elite recruit spoke about why he chose the Nittany Lions, per Greg Biggins of 247 Sports.
“There were a lot of reasons why I chose Penn State,” Smolik said. “I love the culture there. The coaches are amazing and they really communicated with me and let me know I could come in and compete.
“Penn State has always been a favorite school of mine. I’ve always looked up to Trace McSorley so I have followed their program for a long time. The atmosphere is amazing and the town has a great small town vibe which is what I’m used too.”
Jaxon Smolik said that he loves “the culture” and the “amazing” coaches at Penn State football. He specifically mentioned Trace McSorley, the former Nittany Lions star and current Arizona Cardinals signal-caller, who was a three-time second-team all-Big Ten nominee.
Smolik said that he has “always looked up to” McSorley. The newest member of the Penn State football 2023 recruiting class was a little-known prospect before he received an invite to the Elite 11 Finals, a high-level quarterback instruction camp.
Smolik's stock skyrocketed after camp, as he was contacted by the likes of Notre Dame and LSU. Now, the Nittany Lions will get to benefit from his talent.
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