Tiqwai Hayes, No. 2 running back in Pennsylvania, commits to Penn State

4-star Aliquippa (Pennsylvania) standout staying in state with pledge to coach James Franklin, Nittany Lions

Andy Buhler, SBLive Sports | Sep 25, 2023

Penn State and coach James Franklin took one of the best high school running backs in the state of Pennsylvania off the board Monday.

Aliquippa (Pennsylvania) Class of 2025 4-star running back Tiqwai Hayes chose the Nittany Lions over a list of more than a dozen Division I offers.

Hayes, who is 5-foot-10, 185 pounds, was a PIAA Class 4A all-state selection as a junior and has rushed for 3,770 yards and 57 touchdowns in two seasons as a starter.

He's the No. 2 rated tailback in Pennsylvania's 2025 class, according to the 247 Sports Composite, and lifts Penn State's 2025 class to No. 8 in the country.

Hayes had listed a top eight that included Pittsburgh, Ohio State, Michigan, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Maryland and Michigan State, in addition to Penn State.

Aliquippa (4-0) is coming off a 29-22 win over West Allegheny (Pennsylvania). Tiqwai has continued his high production into his senior season, running for 228 yards and three touchdowns in a lopsided win over North Catholic.

The Quips won the WPIAL Class 4A state title in 2022.

-- Andy Buhler | andy@scorebooklive.com | @sblivetx

Published Sep 25, 2023

ANDY BUHLER, SBLIVE SPORTS

Andy Buhler is a Regional Editor of Texas and the national breaking news desk. He brings more than five years of experience covering high school sports across the state of Washington and beyond, where he covered the likes of Paolo Banchero and Tari Eason served on state tournament seeding committees. He works on the SBLive/Sports Illustrated Power 25 national boys basketball rankings. He has covered everything from the Final Four, MLS in Atlanta to local velodrome before diving into the world of preps. His bylines can be found in The News Tribune (Tacoma, Washington), The Associated Press, The Columbian (Vancouver, Washington), The Oregonian and more. He holds a degree from Gonzaga and is based out of Portland, Oregon.