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Penn State Eyes a New Group of 2023 Quarterbacks

Several QBs who are committed elsewhere camped at Penn State, which is back in the recruiting market.
Mark Wogenrich|
Penn State Eyes a New Group of 2023 Quarterbacks
Penn State Eyes a New Group of 2023 Quarterbacks

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Penn State returned to the quarterback recruiting market this summer after former commit Marcus Stokes flipped to Florida. Now the Lions might be looking to flip a quarterback of their own, as several prospects who are committed elsewhere attended Friday's camp in State College.

The most notable attendee was Jaxon Smolik, a senior and Tulane commit who raised his recruiting profile at the Elite 11 Finals in July. Smolik was named to the event's Elite 11, an honor that earned him new status on the recruiting trail.

Smolik likely is the most promising quarterback on Penn State's flip radar. A 3-star prospect from Des Moines, Iowa, Smolik (6-2, 200 pounds) returned from an early season injury to finish strong for Dowling Catholic High. He committed to Tulane in June before attending the Elite 11 Finals.

"I've always felt that I could compete at that level, but really nobody knew who I was until after the Elite 11," Smolik told Sports Illustrated's John Garcia, Jr. "It was super fun being out there and being able to compete with the nation's best. There was a lot of pressure on every quarterback's shoulders there, and they wanted you to be able to shine while under pressure."

Since then, California has offered Smolik a scholarship, and multiple programs (including Penn State) have shown interest. Andrew Rappleyea, a tight end committed to Penn State's 2023 class, invited Penn State fans to meet Smolik.

Smolik and Rappleyea also worked together at Friday's camp.

In addition, according to Blue White Illustrated, Penn State welcomed two other committed quarterbacks to the late-July camp. CJ Tiller (Boise State) and Ty Dieffenbach (UNLV) threw in front of head coach James Franklin and offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich.

Dieffenbach and Tiller both traveled from California to attend the Penn State camp. Tiller, a top-50 national quarterback prospect according to 247Sports, plays for Rancho Cucamonga High, which produced Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud.

Tiller (6-2, 190) committed to Boise State in March and since has received offers from Washington State and San Diego State. Originally from Arizona, Tiller could be one of the top quarterbacks in southern California this year.

Dieffenbach (6-5, 190) is a 3-star prospect from Agoura Hills, Calif., who committed to UNLV in June. Dieffenbach has received offers primarily from West Coast schools but could draw more national attention this year. 

Penn State re-entered the quarterback market after Stokes switched his commitment to Florida in early July. The Lions need a scholarship quarterback in the 2023 class because they are scheduled to return three: Christian Veilleux, Drew Allar and Beau Pribula.

The group is impressive, but Penn State has no guarantees that it will remain together following this season. And Penn State is reticent to repeat the circumstances of 2021, when it lost starter Sean Clifford to injury and had just two scholarship quarterbacks behind him.

Penn State begins training camp Monday for the 2022 season, which it opens Sept. 1 at Purdue.

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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.

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Mark Wogenrich
MARK WOGENRICH

Mark Wogenrich is the editor and publisher of Penn State on SI, the site for Nittany Lions sports on the Sports Illustrated network. He has covered Penn State sports for more than two decades across three coaching staffs, three Rose Bowls and one College Football Playoff appearance.

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