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Penn State Receives Commitment From 4-Star Maryland Prospect

Cortez Harris, a defensive end from Maryland, joins the Nittany Lions' 2025 recruiting class.

Mark Wogenrich

Penn State football coach James Franklin celebrates with the students following a Nittany Lions victory at Beaver Stadium.
Penn State football coach James Franklin celebrates with the students following a Nittany Lions victory at Beaver Stadium. / Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports
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Penn State picked up its third weekend commitment of the 2025 recruiting class by adding its first defensive lineman. Cortez Harris, a 4-star edge rusher from Maryland, became the fifth player to join the Nittany Lions' class over the past week. Harris announced his decision on social media Sunday night.

Harris' commitment continued a high-volume weekend for Penn State football, which received commitments from three players and lost one recruit to Rutgers. The June official-visit calendar closed Sunday, and prospects nationally raced to announce after completing their campus trips.

Harris, a 4-star prospect according to the 247Sports Composite, completed an official visit to Penn State this weekend. He chose the Nittany Lions from a top-10 list that included Maryland, Tennessee, South Carolina, Michigan and Florida, among others. Harris also made official visits to Maryland and Tennessee in June.

Harris is Maryland's fifth-ranked player and the No. 20 edge rusher nationwide, according to the 247Sports Composite. He played his sophomore season at DeMatha Catholic, which Penn State has recruited quite successfully, and transferred to Riverdale Baptist for his junior year.

Also this weekend, Penn State received commitments from 4-star Philadelphia running back Jabree Wallace-Coleman and 3-star New Jersey athlete Braswell Thomas. In addition, the Nittany Lions lost 4-star linebacker prospect DJ McClary to Rutgers.

Penn State's 2025 recruiting class now includes commitments from 17 players and ranks 11th nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite.

The Nittany Lions open the 2024 football season Aug. 31 at West Virginia. Kickoff is scheduled for noon ET on FOX.

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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.

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Mark Wogenrich

MARK WOGENRICH

Mark Wogenrich is Editor and Publisher of AllPennState, the site for Penn State news on SI's FanNation Network. He has covered Penn State sports for more than two decades across three coaching staffs and three Rose Bowls.

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