Receiver Lex Cyrus, a Pennsylvania Sprint Champ, Chooses South Carolina Over Penn State

Cyrus, a 2023 state 100-meter champion, listed Penn State as one of his finalists.

Susquehanna Township running back Lex Cyrus carries the ball in a game against Shippensburg. / Dylan Jacobs / USA TODAY NETWORK

Lex Cyrus, a Pennsylvania high school sprint champ who is one of the state's fastest players, steered away from Penn State and instead committed to South Carolina. The wide receiver from Susquehanna Township High on Thursday joined the Gamecocks' 2025 recruiting class, becoming the latest Pennsylvania star to leave the state.

Cyrus ranks as a 4-star recruit, according to the 247Sports Composite, and is the No. 9 player in Pennsylvania. Cyrus (5-10, 170 pounds) is among the top 35 receivers nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, and brings legitimate speed to the South Carolina offense. Cyrus caught 67 passes for 1,115 yards and 13 touchdowns last season for Susquehanna Township.

Cyrus has made the podium in the 100-meter sprint the past two years at the PIAA Track & Field Championships. As a sophomore in 2023, Cyrus won the Class 3A 100-meter title in 10.67 seconds. This year, Cyrus ran a heat time of 10.41, below the state record, and eventually placed third in the 100 final.

South Carolina and Penn State, Cyrus' finalists, were not alone in noticing that speed. Cyrus, who visited Penn State in late May, has offers from many programs, including Oregon, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, South Carolina and Auburn. Penn State offered Cyrus a scholarship in June 2023, after he won the PIAA sprint title, and recently made a unique pitch to the receiver.

Bekkem Kritza, a quarterback committed to Penn State's 2025 class, shared a marquee from State College's State Theater beckoning Cyrus to join the group.

We Want LEX‼️🦁🏠

Come home family!!@lexcyrus8 pic.twitter.com/x5e0YpsEGk

— Bekkem Kritza (@stretch2025) June 6, 2024

However, in announcing his decision Thursday, Cyrus said that South Carolina "just felt like the most comfortable place I was going to be."

Cyrus kept his decision mostly quiet until the announcement. Two of the major recruiting services, 247Sports and On3, projected that Cyrus would commit to Penn State. However, Cyrus ultimately chose South Carolina, which he visited in June after his trip to Penn State.

Though Penn State's 2025 recruiting class ranks ninth nationally, the program has missed notably on some of Pennsylvania's top players. In fact, seven of the state's top 10 players,according to the 247Sports Composite, have committed elsewhere. That includes the top four: quarterback Matt Zollers (Missouri), defensive end Zahir Mathis (Ohio State), tight end Andrew Olesh (Michigan), and offensive lineman Michael Carroll (Alabama).

The Nittany Lions began the June official-visit season struggling to keep up pace with conference foes such as Ohio State, Oregon and even Rutgers. But they entered July with a reassuring 20 commitments and one of the nation’s top-ranked recruiting classes for the 2025 cycle.

Even with a pair of decommitments, head coach James Franklin earned nine commitments to nearly double what was once a 12-player class in mere weeks while also adding a verbal pledge from a key prospect of next year’s cycle. Here’s an extensive breakdown of Penn State’s scorching hot June on the recruiting trail.

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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.